Dawn of Pandemonium
by DesertAnubis
Summary: Yugi's daughter, Kyo, and Seto's daughter, Kisara, wind up living together while Yugi goes off on a tour. But living under Seto Kaiba isn't the easiest, and when Yugi goes missing and a new evil arrives to threaten the world, things seem as if they're spiraling out of control... (Updates weekly)
1. Prologue

**Author's Note**

I did my best to stick to the rules of the card game, but found several places when I went back through where I had made mistakes. I tried to correct them, but if I've missed any, I apologize.

Also, this is one of those rare moments where I actually finished a story. I went back through to check for errors in spelling and such, and make a few small revisions here and there, but otherwise I have left it as is. It's not AMAZING, but it's FINISHED, which I am pleased about. But on that note, if there are any loose ends or things you'd like to read more of, make a note or post a review, and I might just add a short story on the end for you. (Believe me, it was hard to get myself to stop and _finish_ the story) I will be very happy to write more, in case y'all happen to like it and want more. I seriously doubt there will be a sequel, though.

* * *

Domino City. A bustling, thriving metropolis. The streets were packed with people rushing about their daily lives. Occasionally, monsters could be seen: holographic projections of a card game that was rapidly expanding to become part of world happenings. The game was Duel Monsters, one based on competitions between sorcerers in the ancient past, involving real monsters and the fate of the world.

Its current popularity was due to the contributions of two men in particular – two men that, at the moment, were facing each other in an office at the top of one of the tallest buildings in Domino City.

Seto Kaiba was not pleased.

He was sitting at the desk, the wall behind him a window to the city below. His rich blue eyes narrowed in frustration below his short, well-kept brown hair. He was dressed in a white full-length jacket and a black undershirt, along with a number of straps and belts that gave him an almost draconian appearance.

Seto was the CEO of Kaiba Corp., whose primary focus was to provide cutting-edge gaming technology, and was responsible for the holographic games that would spontaneously occur in the streets below.

Before him stood Yugi Moto, the world champion and King of Games. Yugi was much shorter than the CEO, with violet eyes and spiky black hair that spread in all directions, dressed in a blue outfit accented with a number of belts of his own.

"Yugi, do you grasp the concept of what it takes to run a multi-billion-dollar company? I'm not a baby-sitter. Can't you get one of your dweeb friends to take your brat in?"

Yugi sighed. "I tried. But Joey and Mai have their hands full with their son, Sirius, and they don't exactly have any space. Tristan and Serenity are biking in America, and Duke's doing a tour of his own with Dungeon Dice Monsters. Bakura's vanished off the face of the Earth, and the Ishtars don't even have a home, let alone a place where Kyo could stay and get an education."

Seto grimaced and folded his arms. "So now you want me to give her an education?"

"No, Kaiba." Yugi said patiently. "All you need to do is give her a room. She'll take care of herself. I can offer an allowance if you'd rather consider it a rent."

"She's eight." Seto stated, his voice flat.

"You were the one who suggested I go on tour, and we can't give her an education that way." Yugi rebutted. "Please, Kaiba. Give her a week. She practically raises herself; you won't hear a single word of trouble about her, I promise."

"I'd better _not_ get a word of trouble from her." Seto snapped irritably back. "Or she's going to the streets." He gave Yugi a cold smirk. "And if I'm feeling generous, I might consider having one of my grunts give her a ride to the orphanage."

The two had known each other for years; Yugi was well-used to Seto's threats. While he was fairly certain Seto would follow through on them if he was given a reason, he also knew that Seto wasn't completely unreasonable.

He nodded. "Give it a week, Kaiba. If she's any trouble, we'll come back and try to figure something else out. Would five hundred cover her rent?"

"I don't need your money." Seto growled. "The last thing I want to encourage is that my house is open to invasion. I'm doing this as a favor to you, Yugi. I expect you to repay it."

Yugi smiled wryly back. "I'm sure we'll find a way I can do that. Who knows, this might be a great opportunity for your own daughter, Kaiba." He stopped himself. That was the suggestion he'd given Joey and Mai, but while they had agreed, he remembered belatedly that Seto usually responded poorly to any suggestion of what he'd consider 'soft behavior.'

As expected, Seto's eyes narrowed, but Yugi had snapped his mouth shut, so he settled for a glare. "Believe whatever you want to, Yugi, if it makes you feel better. When are you leaving?"

"Well, we didn't have any plans until we could ensure Kyo would have a place to stay, but Pegasus has been pushing me to get packed. I will be looking for a ticket to Hong Kong sometime this week." He rubbed the back of his head. "Téa will be available to help her get settled. Just let us know when we can bring her over."

"Bring her over tonight." Seto said. "The sooner she's in place, the sooner I can get back to running my company."

Yugi nodded politely and bowed. "Thank you, Kaiba. I promise you won't regret this. I will find a way to repay you."

"Save it, Yugi." Seto turned back to his computer. "Now get lost."


	2. Dragon vs Kuriboh

"It was nice knowin' ya." Sirius, a smirking blond teen, chuckled. "Red-Eyes attacks you directly, an' I win!"

"What did she say about calculating x again?"

"Dammit, Wheeler! Your Red-Eyes deck is just too strong!"

"Kyo?"

Deep violet eyes blinked and looked around to see icy blue ones staring back.

"Sorry, Kis," Kyo apologized quickly, turning back to the papers in front of them. "Remember, everything you do to one side, you do to the other. So if you want to get–"

"Hey! Moto!"

Both girls looked up to see the blond-haired kid come over.

"What do you want, Sirius?" Kyo grumbled.

"Wanna duel me?" He pulled up a chair and sat in it backwards.

"I'm helping Kisara." She said dismissively, glancing at her pale, white-haired friend.

"What, Kaiba can't do math?"

Kisara twitched, and Kyo's eyes narrowed. Then she smiled. "Well, let's see here. How many times have you challenged me, and how many times have I beaten you? Seems like you're the one who can't do math."

Sirius reddened, and Kisara gave Kyo a relieved look.

"Oh yeah? Well, dis time it'll be different." Sirius declared.

"No, Sirius. I'm not interested." Kyo said with finality.

"Okay, den what about you, Kaiba?" Sirius turned. He paused, then added, "You _do_ duel, don'cha?" He had never seen her duel before.

Kisara hesitated.

Kyo checked her watch, then sighed. "All right, fine. But just a quick one. Lunch is almost over, and we can't be caught with our cards."

Duel Monsters was banned at school, and anyone caught with cards would be sent to detention. It hadn't stopped anyone; instead, it had given rise to a new version of dueling aptly called a 'speed duel'.

The winner was the one with the most life points when the game ended, and any who stalled or failed to make a move within thirty seconds would lose five hundred life points; anyone who took longer than a minute would forfeit.

"Sounds good ta me." Sirius shuffled his deck and set it down, drawing five cards. "I'll go first,"

Kyo's mouth twitched. "Go ahead." She drew.

Sirius grinned. "I'll activate Dragon Shrine, which lets me send one dragon to the graveyard. And if the dragon I sent is a normal monster, I get to send one more. So I'll send Red-Eyes Black Dragon, and Red-Eyes Wyvern to the graveyard." He flipped through his deck and pulled out the two cards, dropping them into the graveyard. "Then, when I end my turn, Red-Eyes Wyvern lets me banish it from my graveyard, as long as I haven't summoned any monsters to the field, so I can summon Red-Eyes!"

Kisara's eyes widened. Sirius's deck was extremely powerful for this very reason; Red-Eyes Black Dragon was one of the most powerful monsters in the game, and the cards Sirius had chosen made it extremely easy for him to get it on the field fast and frequently.

Kyo drew. "My turn." She smiled. "I'll summon Kinka-Byo in attack mode."

"Dat mangy little cat's only got a measly four hundred attack points, an' you don't got any level one monsters in the graveyard!" Sirius interrupted incredulously. "Plus, dat's a spirit monster, so it's gotta go back to your hand at the end phase." He frowned and looked up at her. "So what's ya game, Kyo? I mean, seriously, talk about a lame opening move!"

Kyo's grin just widened. "…and I play Creature Swap."

There was a little silence, and Kisara gasped. _They each pick a monster to give to their opponent… and they each only have one, so they_ have _to swap the monsters they have…_

 _And Kinka-Byo returns to the owner's hand at the end phase, leaving Sirius without any monsters!_

That was the strength of Kyo's deck. Where Sirius could swarm the field, Kyo could counter practically everything Sirius could dish out.

Sirius's expression was foul as he passed over his beloved Red-Eyes. "Dat mangy, good-fer-nothin' little rat! Dammit, Moto, don't steal my Red-Eyes!"

Kyo rolled her eyes. "I'll leave it at that." She held out her hand. "And I'll be taking my mangy, good-for-nothing little rat back."

"Have it." Sirius spat. "Rat." He drew, then sat back and studied his cards for a moment. "All right." He leaned forward. "I summon Red-Eyes Retro Dragon in attack mode. But den I'll banish it t' summon Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon." He set the card aside. "An' with dat, I'll attack MY Red-Eyes Black Dragon, sending him to MY graveyard." He snapped. "An' with Darkness Metal Dragon's special ability, I'll special summon MY Red-Eyes back from the graveyard. An' I'll set dis little number face down." He smirked and sat back. "How's DAT, thief?"

Kisara started. She hadn't expected him to get Red-Eyes back so soon. Now Kyo was back to having no monsters on the field, and she was down three hundred life points. Even if the duel didn't get interrupted, things didn't look good for her.

Kyo drew, then studied her hand briefly. "I'll set this monster in defense mode, then I'll place these two cards facedown. Your move, Sirius."

"Hah! Not so tough now, are ya?" Sirius laughed. " _Man_ , I love Red-Eyes! I'll beat you dis time, Kyo, just you watch." He lifted the card. "I tribute my Red-Eyes ta bring out dis little beauty – Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon!"

Kisara tilted her head to try to read the text.

"He might get extra attack points for the dragons in my graveyard, but why leave 'em there when I can just summon 'em with my Darkness Metal Dragon?" Sirius said lazily. "So I'm gonna bring back my Red-Eyes! Now I have _three_ Red-Eyes on the field!"

There was a murmur around the room. They had all come up against this power themselves; this was about the point when they gave up. Three high-level monsters facing one lame facedown defense monster – they were all familiar with this scenario.

"I'll use Darkness Metal Dragon to attack your facedown monster." Sirius said, smirking.

Kyo flipped it over, and Sirius flinched – it was Kuriboh. But it was on the field; its effect only activated from the hand.

But if it was on the field, then–

"I activate Multiply." She said calmly, pulling monster tokens from her pocket. "I tribute Kuriboh to summon five Kuriboh tokens."

Sirius waited, eyeing her second facedown card. "…an' dat's it?"

She gave him an amused look. "What, are you frightened of a few little puffballs?" She taunted.

His eyes narrowed. "Dose little puffballs 'ave caused me more than a few headaches, Moto." He snapped.

"So, do you call off your attack?" She queried.

"No! I attack!" Sirius shot back.

She set aside one of the tokens without comment.

Emboldened, he raised his fist. "An' I'll use Darkness Dragon to attack your– NO! _Dammit_ , Moto!"

"I activate Detonate." She said with a grin. "I'll tribute my four Kuriboh tokens to destroy your four cards and send them to the graveyard."

"Dammit." Sirius snarled. Then he relaxed. "Still, not a total loss. You destroyed my Return of the Red-Eyes trap card, an' when dat's sent to the graveyard, I get to summon a Red-Eyes monster, an' I pick Darkness Metal Dragon." He pulled it out. "I can't attack with him, since he's already attacked, but I'd rather have him on the field than the other two, especially since I can use him to summon my Red-Eyes again." He grinned. "Knock 'em down all you like, Moto, 'cos dey won't stay down for long."

Kisara looked down at the field. Sometimes, someone would manage to summon a stronger monster than his Red-Eyes dragons. But even if they managed that somehow, they still couldn't match how quickly he could swarm the field with the dragons he'd lost and overwhelming even the strongest of opponents.

Others might be able to keep him from attacking with tricks like Kyo was using, with Mirror Force or Spellbinding Circle, but Sirius could easily sacrifice any monster in a trap and bring it back without breaking a sweat.

Plus, Red-Eyes were stronger than most strong, low-level defensive monsters, making it difficult to build a protective barrier behind which to inflict direct damage – as one of their classmates had tried once.

It was just too difficult to keep the Red-Eyes out of the way.

Kyo drew.

Her eyes twitched, and she glanced at Kisara. Their eyes met, and Kyo winked. She went back to her hand, plucking out another card. "I set this monster facedown, then this card facedown as well… and end my turn."

Kisara looked down at the cards she'd played. Kyo would always wink to her whenever she was about to win, but how could she? She just had one monster on the field, and even if that was Magic Cylinder, she wouldn't do enough damage to Sirius's life points before he wiped her out.

 _Unless… is it…?_

"Hah! Give up yet?" Sirius drew, then started laughing.

Kyo tilted her head. "Something funny, Wheeler?"

"Yeah! You're dead!" Sirius threw the card down. "I summon the Black Stone of Legend! I can Tribute dis card to summon a Red-Eyes monster from my deck, an' I summon Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon!" He fished the dragon out of his deck. "Now, normally, he's a normal monster. But if I use dis," He set down a card. "Supervise lets me treat my gemini like an effect monster! An' whenever it battles, it inflicts its attack on your life points, on top of the damage it does! So when I wipe out your monster with Darkness Metal Dragon, I'll wipe you out with one hit! You'll take forty-eight hundred points of damage!"

She waited.

"Go, Darkness Metal Dragon! Attack her facedown monster!"

Kyo flipped over a Shining Angel, and Kisara, who had been expecting a different monster, started. _Wait, I thought it was–_

"When Shining Angel is destroyed," Kyo said, "I can special summon a light monster from my deck with fifteen hundred attack points or less in attack mode."

"Doesn' matter, you know." Sirius sneered. "Even if you pull out dat Winged Kuriboh an' prevent battle damage, my Black Flare Dragon will still do forty-five hundred points of damage, so I still win!"

Kyo set the Winged Kuriboh on the field. She looked up at Sirius's triumphant look, then smirked back. He stiffened, his expression faltering, and she flipped over her facedown card. "I activate Transcendent Wings."

He froze.

"With this, I tribute my Winged Kuriboh and summon Winged Kuriboh LV10 from my deck." She said, flipping through to pull it out and set it on the field. "Then I tribute Winged Kuriboh LV10; this destroys all of your attack position monsters…" She looked up. "And inflicts their original attack as damage to your life points."

He looked faintly green.

"I believe _that_ is seventy-six hundred." She said, sitting back triumphantly. "Top _that_."

His expression turned sour, and he grimaced. "Damn you, Moto. Damn you an' your furry puffballs."

She shrugged and picked up her deck, tucking it swiftly out of sight. "How many times have we played each other, Sirius? All you ever use are your Red-Eyes monsters… and you lose every single time."

"Dat's not cool, y'know. I beat _everyone_ else at school!" Sirius snapped. "I'm the top duelist! I've dueled everyone, an' no one ever comes close! You're not the top duelist, you never duel anyone–"

"Duel? Who's dueling?"

They all whipped around, their blood turning to ice. A teacher was standing in the doorway, looking in on the sight of Duel Monsters cards with disapproval. "Wheeler again?" He shook his head. "I might've known. Who were you dueling this time? Kaiba?"

"Me, Professor." Kyo said quickly, then faltered. "I… I was dueling him." She mumbled.

"Moto, huh? All right, give me your decks." The teacher came in, holding out his hands. "We're going to the principal's office."


	3. Awaiting Punishment

Kyo sat mutely in the chair, gazing at her hands, and tried not to think of what would happen. She had never been in trouble before; she was always very careful to keep her cards out of sight. She wouldn't have said anything, except the teacher had thought Kisara had been dueling, and if she'd gotten in trouble…

"Relax, Kyo. You're so tense." Sirius was sitting next to her as they waited to be called in. "They can't do anything. Oh, sure, they might try ta keep us after school, but people get caught dueling all the time. Ya might have a detention or two."

"It's not the school's punishment that concerns me, Sirius." Kyo said quietly, leaning forward and gazing at the floor. Kisara's deck might have a number of powerful cards, courtesy of her father's position, but she wasn't much of a duelist, and Kyo was still the only person in school who could defeat Sirius.

If Kisara had gotten in trouble for a duel she hadn't even participated in, not only would her father be furious about her getting in trouble, he'd be supremely disappointed that she hadn't wiped the floor with her opponent. If she'd dueled and lost, it'd be worse. If he learned she'd turned the duel down…

Well, she hadn't, technically. Kyo had stepped in. Because she knew that Kisara couldn't handle a duel, and the humiliation she'd face…

Kyo sighed. Sirius had a point about school. Plenty of people brought their cards; busting everyone with cards would leave the school with only a handful of students. So they tended to turn a blind eye, and though the regulations claimed to be strict, they were lax about the execution. But as she'd told him, that wasn't the punishment she was afraid of.

She was a guest in the Kaiba mansion. Ever since her parents had left her with Seto to go on tour, she had been keenly aware of her position. They hadn't been able to take her with them, she knew that; and she didn't want to be a burden. She'd promised she wouldn't let them down.

Seto, though, wasn't one to be trifled with; he had told her from the get-go that he had zero patience, and he expected her to take care of herself. That hadn't been a problem; she'd been expecting that after her parents had explained where she'd be staying. She'd been very careful to do everything Seto told her to, and to keep as much out of his way as possible. That was pretty much the rule of the house – as long as he didn't notice her or waste any of his valuable time on her, she was a model child.

The door swung open, and Sirius's mother –Mai Wheeler– came in.

"All right, punk, what were you up to this time?" Mai demanded, marching over and seizing Sirius's ear. "You better not have been up to your old pranks! If I hear you've removed all the taps in the ladies' room or stuffed the history teacher's office with toilet paper again, you're going to–" She stopped, catching sight of Kyo.

Sirius used the opportunity to slip free of her grip, nursing his injured ear tenderly. "I wasn' dis time, I was dueling. An' dey took my cards!" He complained.

"Kyo? What are you doing here?" Mai asked at the same moment. When she registered what her son had said, she smirked. "Oh, so were you dueling too? Didn't know a Moto had the guts for rule-breaking."

Kyo gave her a wary look.

Mai laughed and straightened. "Okay, so I have to know. Did you guys finish the duel? Who won?"

Kyo glanced at Sirius, then back. "I did." She said quietly, wishing she could disappear.

"I would've creamed ya!" Sirius boasted. "You jus' caught me off guard, dat's all–"

"Mrs. Wheeler?" The secretary stepped out. "Would you come this way, please? And bring your son?"

"Well, more on that later." Mai smirked. "Come on, you little fiend. Let's get you sorted out."

* * *

"They still haven't shown up?" The secretary asked, poking her head out.

"'They'?" Kyo asked, startled.

"Your parents. I called, but they didn't answer, so I left a message." She explained. "Do you know where they are?"

"In France." Kyo covered her face. It was the middle of the night there. They'd be fast asleep.

"Oh." The secretary looked embarrassed. "Is there someone else I can call? A guardian?"

"Can't you call my parents again?" Kyo asked, warming to the idea. Sure, they wouldn't be happy with her, but at least they were reasonable.

"It has to be someone who can come here." The secretary shook her head. "Who's watching you while they're away?"

Kyo felt her heart go cold with dread. If Seto had to come… she would've gotten in trouble, but at least if it hadn't cost him much of his attention, she could've recovered. But if it was the kind of thing where he'd have to come get her…

"M-Mr. Seto Kaiba." She said defeatedly. "He's also Kisara Kaiba's father, so you should have his number."

"Seto Kaiba?" The secretary gave a start, then looked uncomfortable. "No one else?" She asked hopefully; seems she didn't like the idea much more than Kyo did.

"No." Kyo mumbled, looking down.

"Well…" The secretary hesitated. "I'd better give him a call, then." She retreated.

This was getting worse and worse. Seto had a legendary temper matched with a terrible ruthlessness; if things didn't go the way he wanted, he had a way of making his opponents wish it had.

By sharp contrast, Kisara was very timid and shy. Kyo didn't blame her; she had a lot to live up to. Seto adored his daughter, but like everything in his life, he could be terrifying about it. He expected her to follow in his footsteps – someone who was the best at everything, and who thoroughly crushed the competition. Any suggestion to the contrary was utterly disappointing to him; and if there was anything a child did not want to be, it was a disappointment to their parent.

Kyo had understood completely. She knew exactly how Kisara felt, and knew it was worse for the young Kaiba than her. Yugi and Téa were reasonable, so even if Kyo did disappoint them, she knew she could make it up to them. Kisara, on the other hand, didn't even have the chance to fail.

So, Kyo had taken it upon herself to protect Kisara, and help her live up to her father's expectations. Whenever Kisara was having trouble with her homework, Kyo would help walk her through it – though, of course, without letting Seto know she was. And any time anyone picked on Kisara, Kyo would be quick to put them in their place.

She wasn't physically strong, not as a girl. But she was a master strategist, and it reflected in all the myriad ways she made sure people paid for their mistakes. Sirius was easy – he couldn't stand losing at Duel Monsters, and she knew exactly how to pick his deck apart. But even if they didn't duel, Kyo could still make them suffer… all without ever being caught.

Everyone knew not to mess with Kisara. It was bad luck.

And in some cases, really bad luck.

But the accusation had come too fast this time. Kyo had been forced to duel Sirius to distract from the fact that Kisara never dueled. If the teacher had thought it was Kyo, she could have found a way to weasel out of it, but because he'd thought it was Kisara, Kyo had had to step in before she could come up with an excuse.

And now, she was in deep trouble.

She couldn't let Seto know she'd stepped in for Kisara. But just dueling for the fun of it was careless, and the result –dragging Seto to school– would be catastrophic.

It wouldn't be as bad as if he learned it was to protect Kisara, but it was still looking like she was in for one hell of a rough night tonight.

* * *

It was hours before he showed up. School had long-since been let out. Offices darkened one by one. Several teachers stayed late, grading people's homework, and Kyo had the random epiphany that teachers had just as much to do after school as students did.

The secretary came out periodically, but as the shadows stretched across the road outside, she started to lose hope. Eventually, the principal dismissed her, to her great relief. Then, it was the principal coming out to check.

"I would have just assigned detention had I known he would have kept us waiting this long." The principal muttered as he glanced out the door across the hall to the entrance.

Kyo wondered vaguely if that meant Seto had said he was coming or if the principal had promised to stay and didn't want to risk missing the CEO's eventual arrival – and ticking him off even more than he in all likelihood already was.

Kisara would have been home for a while by now. Kyo glanced out, then felt a nasty twist in her gut when she realized it had started to rain.

Oh, great. She thought. She loved the rain, but she knew she was one of the very few people who did… and Seto wasn't one of them.

The door slammed open, and she jumped, terrified of being caught dozing. Seto stormed in, dripping, and Kyo could see two flustered attendants standing at the entrance – one inside, one out in the rain. The one inside was holding an umbrella, while the other was getting pointlessly drenched.

Kyo sprang smartly to her feet, bracing herself.

"Where is the principal?" Seto growled shortly.

Kyo took off obediently, but she nearly ran into the principal, who had been summoned by the noise. "Mr. Kaiba, thank you for coming–"

"Save it, buster. Just because the law requires that I come pick up this brat doesn't mean I have to listen to you blather on about what it takes to raise a delinquent." Seto took two steps forward and held out his hand. "Give me her deck if you value your job."

The principal grimaced. "You didn't need to threaten my position, Mr. Kaiba. But I must impress upon you that Kyo's misbehavior should be addressed."

Seto's voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "Believe me, it will be. Fork over the cards before I lose what little patience I managed to summon up on the way over."

He hesitated, but then the deck was passed over. Kyo saw the apprehension start to grow on his face, but at that moment, Seto whirled. "Get in the car." He snapped at her.

Kyo obeyed mutely.

Seto never drove. He took pleasure in flying his Blue-Eyes White Jet (a jet modeled after the dragons he treasured), but otherwise felt it beneath him to be the driver.

Which meant that the ride back to the Kaiba Mansion was extraordinarily uncomfortable with him in the seat next to her.

Kyo sat in utter silence and stillness, focusing on the situation at hand and how it might play out. Hopefully, Kisara hadn't said anything; that would leave Kyo free to paint any kind of picture. She knew Kisara would back her up if it meant lessening the punishment meted out by their terrifying guardian, but she didn't want to say anything yet in case she gave herself away.

She looked out at the rain and the dark alleys. Running away and living on the streets had occurred to her more than once. But she knew it wasn't what her parents would want, and besides, she was frankly alarmed at the thought of leaving Kisara behind with someone like Seto. If Kisara's mother had still been around, it wouldn't have been so bad; he'd have someone to temper his rage. And maybe if he hadn't lost her, he wouldn't have been so…

Her eyes started getting hot, and her breath caught in her throat. No! She couldn't cry. She couldn't cry. She'd lose.

He had an ultimate combo in front of him, and all she had was a Kuriboh in her hand. She had to keep a straight face. She had to keep her composure. She had to keep fighting. Because if she surrendered now –if she gave in– it would all be over.

Her jaw tightened. One of her hands rested loosely in her lap, but her other one, the one out of sight, was clenched so tight it hurt. She had to be relaxed. She had to be calm. She couldn't let him see her pain. Because there would be no end to it if she did.


	4. Accused, Shattered, and Spared

"Kyo!" Kisara greeted them at the door. The two attendants brought their umbrellas –one for Seto, one for Kyo– and walked them inside.

The bright, polished white marble floor was disorienting after the gloom of the storm outside. Kyo took two seconds to blink her eyes into adjusting before turning to follow Seto as he strode down the length of the giant lobby.

"Er, Mr. Kaiba…?" One of the attendants started nervously.

"Get lost. I'll call you if I need anything." He looked back. "Come, Kyo. Kisara, this is a discussion between Kyo and myself." He added when his daughter made to follow.

Kyo gave Kisara a reassuring smile, and after a moment, she nodded back and headed off in the direction of her room.

Kyo took a deep breath. _I will not back down._ She thought. _I am worthy._

He took her up the stairs to a room where one wall was a giant window, exposed to the cliffs – and beyond it, the sea. The storm raged against the mansion walls, but like all else Seto created, it was virtually impregnable.

"Close doors." He commanded, and all the exits closed. He stood gazing out at the rain for a long moment, and Kyo took up a position behind him, watching his back silently. There were sofas set around, but she wouldn't sit down; not yet.

"Kisara said you were challenged by Sirius Wheeler." Seto said finally.

Kyo stiffened. _She talked._

 _He probably asked._ She would never blame Kisara for talking, even if things might have been easier if she hadn't.

"Yes, sir." She said calmly and clearly.

"You initially backed down from his challenge." He continued.

She twitched. _Kisara must have told him everything._ She thought. "I had homework." She said. Which was true. Ish.

"Uh huh. Where was that homework when he challenged my daughter?" He queried, still gazing out at the stormy sea.

Kyo snapped her mouth shut, thinking fast. If Kisara had told him _everything_ … "He was… he wasn't leaving us alone." _I have to make it sound like he wasn't worth her time._ "I knew I could beat him quickly; he's a lame duelist–"

"Liar."

The word shot through the air like a laser, and she was instantly turned to stone.

He turned, his icy blue eyes freezing her to her core as if they could pierce her very soul. "Sirius Wheeler utilizes the Red-Eyes strategy, which has become one of the most powerful strategies in the world. But he hasn't earned a single one of the cards in his deck. He does not deserve to hold them." His eyes narrowed. "You have just proven to me that neither do you."

Kyo felt a nasty jolt of terror and humiliation. She wasn't a cheat – she had never cheated in her entire life. She was always careful to make sure her revenge on people who picked on Kisara suited the crime. But she had always been secretive and stealthy. She had to be careful, because the word 'cowardly' often tried to come to mind.

But the word 'liar' had shattered all her careful defenses, all her explanations, all her reasoning, and left her exposed. She had no facedown cards. Her Kuriboh was sitting out in the open, staring up at three Blue Eyes White Dragons, and she had no backup plan to protect herself.

"You had the nerve to think you could duel on my daughter's behalf." Seto went on. "As if she would need your help defeating Wheeler."

 _But she did._ Her eyes were burning again. _And if she'd accepted Sirius's challenge and lost–_

"This deck was a gift from your father, am I correct?" Seto queried.

Kyo didn't have enough in her to speak. The tears were too close to the surface, and it was taking everything she had not to let them out. She nodded.

He flicked through the cards, then pulled one out and showed her. It was Winged Kuriboh LV10.

"If you want them back, you're going to have to earn them." He said coldly.

"But Mr. Kaiba–!" Kyo exclaimed in shock.

"Don't interrupt me or you'll lose your chance." He folded his arms. "I only agreed to give you a room if you didn't cause me any trouble or tarnish the Kaiba name. And you have."

 _Once in six years!_ She thought, fighting to hold her tears back and feeling her throat lock up with the effort. _He can't take my deck!_

"I'll return your deck on one condition." He looked up. "That you completely restructure it before summer begins."

Her eyes widened.

"To ensure your cooperation, I will take one card from your deck every day." He lifted the Kuriboh. "Starting with Winged Kuriboh LV10." He pocketed it. "If you want a deck by the end of the school year, you had better start dueling. I suggest using an ante system to win cards."

Kyo stared at the deck, which he handed back to her.

"Of course, if you get caught and you lose your cards, well then." He smirked. "You don't deserve them anyway. And I won't be bailing you out a second time."

Her fingers tightened. Her deck wasn't ruined, but his 'bargain' was almost guaranteed to finish the job. There were a lot of kids at school, but the end of the school year was a long ways away. Seto would have taken enough cards from her deck to make another full deck by the time it came around.

And she couldn't fight legally with only thirty-nine cards.

She was pretty sure if she told her father what was going on, he'd intervene. Maybe he would even come and take her with him on his tours, and she could learn from him how to be a good duelist, instead of having her deck torn to shreds.

"One last thing." Seto said, and she looked up. "If you can manage to pull together a halfway-decent deck by the end of the school year, I'll guarantee a spot for you in the Battle City tournament."

She blinked, distracted. Battle City was the most prestigious tournament in the world. On occasion, Pegasus might throw a 'Royalties' tournament, in which only tournament champions could enter, but Battle City happened every year during the beginning of summer. There was an age limit of sixteen and up… but Seto was the person in charge of the tournament. He could add or drop anyone as he chose.

During the first decade, only eight finalists were allowed, but as the number of competitors increased, Seto had upped the number of finalists to sixteen. Given how many people were showing up, it was still a desperate struggle to even qualify.

"Because it's the twentieth anniversary of Battle City, I'm upping the number of finalists to thirty-two. You might even have a shot at getting a spot in the finals if you build your deck well." He smirked at the stunned look on her face. "If you decide you want to aim for Battle City, I'll even let you be the one to choose which cards I take."

Kyo gave a start. She would have asked if he was serious, but she knew better. This was the chance of a lifetime, and if she could choose which cards he took… "I want to aim for Battle City." She said, tightening her grip on her deck.

"Good." He said. "Kisara will be doing the same."

Kyo gave him a surprised look. _Kisara didn't do anything wrong, though!_

"Of course, since she hasn't tarnished the Kaiba name, I'll only be taking a card from her every three days. And unlike you, she had a choice."

 _Yeah, right._ Kyo thought, snorting mentally. _Here's a once-in-a-lifetime offer, exclusively because you're my daughter. You can say no if you want to. Of course, if you don't, you'll be dishonoring my name._

"So prepare yourself, Kyo. You have a lot of duels to win between now and then."


	5. Pain and Loss

Kyo entered her room and closed the door, then looked down at the deck in her hands. Every single card had been a gift from her father, and losing even one of them was a blow. It felt like she had been stabbed through the heart.

The tournament had distracted her, but now, alone, she could feel the pain coming back. Why? Why did Seto have to be so cruel? These weren't his cards to take – they were how she remembered her parents. Her father, especially, since he'd been the one to teach her dueling, and was the King of Games. It wasn't fair, and it wasn't right, either.

She didn't have a phone. Seto had numerous phones, but she didn't have access to any of them. She'd try when she got back to school – see if she could call her parents, and explain to them what was going on. Sure, she'd broken school rules, but almost everyone did. Even Kisara took her cards to school, even though it was forbidden. This deck meant everything to her.

 _"_ _I'm sorry, Kyo. If we could take you, we would." Yugi said with such heartfelt honesty that she believed him without a doubt._

 _It didn't make things any easier._

 _"_ _Here." He pulled out a stack of cards. "This is for you."_

 _She looked down at them, then back up at him._

 _"_ _I put this together for you, Kyo." He said quietly. "So you'll always have me there to protect you. No matter what, as long as you trust your deck and believe in the heart of the cards, I'll be there to protect you."_

The pain drew out a soft gasp, and she dropped the cards on her desk, throwing herself down on the bed and sobbing silently into her pillow.

* * *

"So you want to ante your Creature Swap against my Magician of Faith?"

Kyo nodded.

"I dunno… you're a really strong duelist…"

Kyo grimaced. This had happened several times now, and a lot sooner than she had expected.

She had been dueling for a few weeks; but word spread rapidly through the school that she was challenging as many students as she could – and taking their cards.

She didn't have any reprieve on weekends, either. Seto had taken another card the first night, but luckily Kisara had an extra card for the second.

"Creature Swap and Honest, then." Kyo had been forced to ante up rarer and rarer cards, and this past week had been particularly brutal. She had already lost two more cards than she had anticipated – her deck was technically illegal, as it was still less than forty cards.

Kisara tried to help out, but she was also having trouble finding duels. And with Seto taking cards from both of them, she also had to build up a buffer if she wanted to make it to Battle City.

"I think I'd rather just trade. I'm not that good of a duelist, and I'd rather not lose my cards."

Kyo growled and strode from the room. _Pointless!_ Trading wouldn't do a thing to help her. She'd have the same number of cards at the end of the day… unless she traded for weak cards. And if she did that… well. Her deck would be weak.

"Kyo!" Kisara called, and she turned to see her friend hurrying up from down another hall. "Any luck yet?"

"Nothing." She sighed. The 'sporting chance' wasn't exactly sporting if she was creaming everyone she dueled. She had tried dialing it back and just barely scraping by, but they seemed to have cottoned on.

"No luck on my end either." She sighed. "I didn't know it was going to be this difficult to get cards."

Kyo shrugged. "It simply means that we have to find duels somewhere else."

Kisara looked up, surprised. "Where? Father doesn't want us going anywhere but home after school."

Kyo folded her arms and leaned against the wall. "We could go out on weekends. You could easily earn enough cards for the week. And there would be more than enough fresh people for me to win dozens of cards before I need to expand my search."

 _Like a predator._ She thought with a grimace. It had only just sunk in the effects of her successes; the losers were victimized, losing valuable and treasured cards. And the more powerful a duelist she became, the more it felt like just taking what she wanted, without giving them a sporting chance.

"Are you sure you want to risk it?" Kisara asked. "That's only once a week. What if you can't win enough cards?"

"I'll spend all day out if I have to." Kyo said. "I can–"

[Attention.] They were interrupted by an intercom announcement. [Will Kyo Moto please report to the principal's office? Repeat. Will Kyo Moto please report to the principal's office?]

Kyo's eyes widened, and she looked over at Kisara, who looked equally shocked.

"Give me your deck." Kisara held out her hand.

Kyo swallowed and nodded. She doubted she was in trouble, or that her dueling had caused an uproar (after all, she hadn't exactly forced anyone), but it would be better if she wasn't holding cards that were forbidden on campus.

"Hopefully I'll be right back." Kyo said as she set the deck in Kisara's hand.

 _What could they want?_ She thought as she hurried down the hall. _If someone's complaining about me…_

She was on guard, and therefore immediately defensive when she saw Seto standing in the office. What was going on?

 _Damn. Did they complain enough that the school decided to call him in?_

"Come with me." Seto said, turning and striding away without explanation.

Kyo glanced around at the principal and the secretary, but they both looked confused. Which meant they didn't know what this was about.

Which was good, because that probably meant no one was complaining about her, at least not to them.

 _Oh man. I hope they didn't complain directly to him…_ Kyo thought as she hurried to keep up. "Where are we going, sir?" She asked politely.

"The bank." Seto said. "You have a withdrawal to make."

She blinked, nonplussed. "But I don't have a bank account."

"You do now. Get in."

She stared at him.

He was holding the door open for her.

And he wasn't being his usual cold-blooded self.

For that matter, what was with his tone? He sounded almost… apologetic.

His eyes narrowed slightly. "Don't make me say it twice." He said, a shadow of his temper returning.

She darted in, watching him cautiously in case she needed to scoot over. He went around to the other side of the car.

"Meridian Trust." He said to the driver.

They pulled out, and there was a long, awkward silence.

 _Since when has he ever been awkward?_ She wondered suddenly, looking up at him and catching his uncomfortable expression.

She frowned.

 _What's going on?_

"Kyo…" He began hesitantly. "There's something you need to…" He paused. "Something's happened." He said instead. "Your parents…"

She froze.

"They're dead."

 _No._

 _No, no, no, no–_

She paled, feeling her body begin to shake with panic. No! That couldn't be– it _couldn't_ be! They were supposed to be on tour! They were supposed to come back for her. They were supposed to save her– they _couldn't_ be dead!

"There was an accident–" He started.

"NO!" She shouted, whipping around to stare out the window, covering her ears.

"Kyo!" He snapped, seizing her wrist. But before she could fight him off or panic, he released her. It seemed even he recognized that she needed a moment.

Which meant it was true.

The pain was like a physical blow, worse than anything she had ever experienced. She actually _felt_ the pain in her chest, as if she could feel her physical heart actually breaking. She hugged her arms, as if somehow she could hold herself together.

As hard as it might have been to lose one card from her father's deck, with the threat of losing more…

It didn't hurt any where near as much as this did.

"I'm sorry." Seto said quietly.

There was silence.

She noticed movement, and looked up to see the Winged Kuriboh LV10. She blinked at it, then looked up at Seto. There were no words, but she thought she understood what he was trying to say. She took it and stared at it for a moment, then bowed her head. It took her a few moments to rally herself, to try to figure out what was next.

"W-what…" She stammered. "What happens now?" She asked. "What… what do I do?"

There was a pause for a few seconds. "You can stay with me until you're old enough to live on your own." He said at last, and to his credit, he didn't sound like the idea repulsed him.

She calmed down a little.

"S-so…" She started again, drying her eyes. "Why are we… going to the bank?"

"You're making a withdrawal." He said. "Your parents left a safety deposit box for you."

* * *

The bank teller was very polite, and when she realized what had happened, she was quick to offer her condolences. It was strange, though; by the time they'd arrived at the bank, Kyo had felt this odd sort of disconnect with the world. Seto being nice was the start, but while it was disconcerting, it wasn't unpleasant. Everything else, though, was just disconcerting.

The teller headed back into the vaults, and Kyo looked around. The world seemed fuzzy and out of focus, almost cartoonish, as if she was in a dream.

Was that it? Was she just dreaming? Maybe she was. Seto would never be that nice, and her parents wouldn't get in an accident. She'd wake up, and she'd be back to worrying about how to find cards for her deck.

There was one man in line who was staring at her.

He had blond hair and teal green eyes, and he was wearing a long black trench coat. There was a small green crystal shard hanging around his neck.

For some reason, that made him creepy.

She looked back into the vaults, but almost immediately turned again; she had been gripped with the sudden fear that he'd be standing right behind her.

Of course he wasn't. And he wasn't staring anymore.

Maybe she was imagining it.

"Here we go." The teller said, and Kyo looked up as she emerged from the vaults holding a golden box carved with hieroglyphs. "This is all that was in there." She said as she set it on the counter. "Are you going to be okay, dear?" She added. "Do you need anything else?"

Kyo nodded, then shook her head. "Thank you. I'll be fine." She took the box. "Is that it?" She asked. "Can I go?"

The teller gave her a sympathetic smile. "Of course, dear."

She turned.

"Hey, kid,"

She jumped at the deep, gravelly voice.

"Moto, wasn't it? Mind if we talk for a moment?" He asked as he came over.

His tone was friendly, and he gestured at the seats in the bank. Not something someone suspicious would do.

And yet the crystal made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

"No, I have to go." She said quickly, but politely, and hurried to the door.

There was no answer. She looked back, but he was gone.

Completely gone.

She felt her blood run icy, and headed to the car with alacrity. _What was that about?_


	6. A Final Farewell

She didn't open the box until she got home. It sat in her lap, and she almost didn't even look at it on the ride back. The powerful urge to believe this was just a dream was distracting, and part of her knew it wasn't good. She wasn't, after all. Dreams might include terrible news, mysterious boxes, and creepy disappearing strangers, but they didn't include getting into the car and sitting there, waiting as they drove back – her dream would have skipped that. The mundane was too realistic for this to be a dream.

So, trying to believe this was a dream and think that her parents were still alive out there wasn't doing anyone any good.

She blinked, and her mouth twitched ruefully. Seto was rubbing off on her. If he'd ever lost someone, he probably wouldn't have wasted any time wishing it was a dream.

She thought about his wife and stole a glance at him. What had it been like for him to lose her? How did he get over it? She almost asked, but she didn't know how long or how far his gentle mood would stretch.

She looked back down at the box. He had said she could continue to stay with him, so at least she didn't have to figure out where she would live. She now owed him big-time; even if it was in response to the death of her parents, he was still basically saving her life. And honestly, with his temperament, the fact that he'd agreed to watch her at all was a big deal.

 _So I'll double down._ She thought, thinking in particular about his request that she restructure her deck. _I'll put my heart and soul into remaking my deck._

 _It might have been a way for Dad to protect me, but he's… not around anymore. I'll keep some of the cards, of course, like Winged Kuriboh and Transcendent Wings. But it won't be about summoning Kuriboh anymore._

She ran her fingers over the gilded frame. _I'll pick a monster. One monster – that will be my signature monster. Like Sirius has Red-Eyes, and like Seto has Blue-Eyes, and like Dad had the Level-Ups. I'll go pick a monster. I may even see if I can buy it online or something. Then I'll go win battles and build my deck specifically for that monster._

She looked back at Winged Kuriboh LV10. _Maybe I'll find something that goes well with the Kuriboh, like Black Luster Soldier._

They were home. She got out, clutching the box and the card, and looked up as Seto came around. He eyed her for a moment, and she straightened a little, giving him what she hoped was a brave look.

"Thank you, Mr. Kaiba." She said. "For letting me stay."

"Hmph." He grunted. "Don't think this changes anything, Kyo. I still expect nothing less than perfection out of you." He folded his arms. "In fact, since I've basically been raising you from the start, you're practically a Kaiba. Which means you'd better do your share of upholding the family honor."

Kyo stared at him in surprise. Taking her in had been one thing, but calling her a Kaiba? _That_ , she knew, he would only have said if he actually did want her around.

And _that_ was about as rare as a Blue-Eyes.

"Well?"

"Y-yes sir!" She stammered hastily. "I'll do my best, sir." Her fingers tightened on the box. _Damn, this isn't going to get worse, is it?_ She wondered suddenly. It was so hard to tell if it was a good thing or a bad thing. If he was going to slip right back into his old way of thinking…

But he let her take Kuriboh back. That was a start, wasn't it?

* * *

As soon as she got back to her room, she sat down at her desk and set the gilded box on the surface. She put the Kuriboh card off to the side; she could add it back into her deck when Kisara got home.

Speaking of which, she had about an hour; school would get out at three, and then Kisara would head home. Then she could explain everything.

She would probably cry. Kisara was much more sympathetic than Seto, and it would be much easier to let her guard down. She always liked to be the strong one of the two of them, but in this case, well, her _parents_ just died. As long as Kisara was happy and no one had bugged her after Kyo had left, then Kyo figured she could take a day off.

 _Now then,_ She thought, touching the lid. _What's in here?_

She opened it.

The lid came off, so she set it aside. Inside was a small area just large enough for Duel Monsters cards. There was a letter on top, addressed to her, so she pulled it out first.

It was Yugi's handwriting.

The blow was unexpected, and she found herself staring at the handwriting for several seconds. Not the words, just the way he'd pushed the pen across the paper. She knew it well; he and Téa would send her letters about their travels, and she kept them all in a basket under her bed.

 _This is the last letter I'll ever get from them._ She thought, and the thought brought tears to her eyes.

 _Dad…_

She bit her lip and set the letter aside. She'd read it after she saw everything else.

The rest were Duel Monsters cards.

She blinked, faintly disappointed. She didn't know what she had been expecting; there wasn't a lot that could fit in here. But then again, Yugi _was_ King of Games, so honestly she shouldn't be surprised that these would be his final gift to her. Still, maybe a picture of him and Téa would have been nice.

She pulled them out.

 _Dark Magician?_ She frowned, confused. Why was that card in here? Yugi had never used a Dark Magician card. His deck was the Level-Up deck, one that revolved around monsters that leveled up over the course of the duel.

 _And Dark Magician Girl._ She stared at the second card. _What– Dark Magician of Chaos, too? And–_ She stopped. It was Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning.

 _What are all these cards doing here? They're rare, sure, but they don't have anything to do with Dad!_ She frowned. She would have thought he'd give her a memento. Maybe one of the Level-Ups, or a card he actually used. Sure, these were very rare and very valuable, but…

She started to flick through them. Maybe there was an explanation– which made her stop and look back at the letter a little sheepishly. He'd probably explained everything about the cards she was holding. And because she had skipped it, she had totally missed whatever he wanted to say.

She set the cards down and started to open the letter, but one of the cards from the back had slid into view, and the red color of the frame caught her eye. She pushed the other cards off.

And froze in shock.

 _That's…_

She stared at it.

 _No way. There's no way._

 _They_ disappeared _! Those cards shouldn't exist! They're a myth!_

She had heard the stories, of course. Everyone knew about the Egyptian God cards – the most powerful cards in all of Duel Monsters. Wielding even one of these cards made you insanely difficult to beat, and wielding all three…

 _Obelisk the Tormentor. Slifer the Sky Dragon. The Winged Dragon of Ra._

 _They're…_

 _They can't be real. These can't be._ She thought. _No, Dad just gave me keepsakes or something. There's no way…_

She reached out.

But even as her fingers barely brushed the surface, she _felt_ it. The presence of something massive – of something so powerful that even the Blue-Eyes White Dragons seemed like dogs.

A chill ran through her body.

 _What the hell._

She seized the cards and threw them back into the box, slamming the lid shut just as someone knocked on the door. She jumped at least a foot in the air and scrambled to her feet. "Come in," She said, then seized the other cards and stuffed them out of sight.

It was Seto.

His blue eyes swept the scene, taking everything in, including her startled and rather guilty look. His eyes narrowed, but he still seemed to be on a gentle streak.

"Everything all right?" He queried.

"Y-yeah." She stammered. "I guess,"

He studied her for a moment. "What was in the box?" He asked.

"The box?" She queried, wishing her voice wouldn't get so squeaky. "Some cards and a letter." She said. _Do I tell him?_

 _If they're the real, actual, factual Egyptian God cards…_

 _He'll just take them._

"Duel Monsters cards." She said, getting a sudden idea and dropping her gaze. "Um, a couple of them are kind of rare. Can I still keep them, though?"

He gave her a sideways look, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. "What kind of rare cards?"

She squirmed, trying to pretend it was the Black Luster Soldier or the Dark Magician that was making her jumpy and not three all-powerful gods.

"Don't make me ask again." Seto's expression darkened.

"Dark Magician," She blurted quickly, just in time for another epiphany.

Seto knew about the Egyptian God cards. And he knew they were in the box. Or he thought they did, anyway.

He stopped. "Dark Magician?" He queried derisively.

"W-well," She squirmed again. "And Black Luster Soldier, and Dark Magician of Chaos." She mumbled, looking down again so he wouldn't see the truth in her eyes.

"Hmph." He studied her for a moment, his eyes flicking to the box, then back. "And that's all?"

She looked up, feigning surprise. "What do you mean?"

He twitched. "Nothing."

She waited.

"Yes, you can keep those cards." He said, his tone becoming faintly derisive again. "You know, I'd always wondered where those cards ended up."

She started.

"I remember when that card was the one he'd always rely on to get him out of trouble." There was an almost fond note to his voice. "Not that the Dark Magician was ever any match for my Blue-Eyes White Dragons, of course."

 _Dark Magician?_ She looked down at the card, then back up. "Then why…" _Why have I never seen him use them?_

"Why were they locked away in some dusty old vault?" Seto supplied. He was quiet for a moment. "I would've said he'd moved on, but honestly…" His expression became a little odd. "He probably couldn't."

"Move on from what?" She asked, startled. Seto had never talked this much or this deeply about her father, and she was shocked to realize (though she probably shouldn't have been) that Seto knew more about him than she did.

"That's a long story, and I don't have that kind of patience." Seto said gruffly. "You'd be better off asking Wheeler."

She blinked. "Sirius?" She asked, confused.

"No. His father." Seto corrected. "They were best buddies back in the day."

 _They were?_ She shifted. _Dang. What else don't I know?_

Seto considered her for a moment. "Well, since you have a legal deck again, you might consider dueling at Kaibaland. I doubt the kids at school have taken kindly to your need for cards."

Kyo glanced at the cards, then back.

"I'll let you get back to it." He left.

She stared as the door swung shut. _What… what's going on?_

She looked down at the desk. _I suppose I'd better read that letter now._

She sat down.

* * *

 _Hey Kyo!_

 _If you're reading this, then something must have happened, and for whatever reason, I'm not going to be around to protect you anymore. I'm sorry; this is not how I wanted to say goodbye._

 _I'm sure you've figured it out by now, but we're not actually touring. If that was all we were doing, we could have brought you along. It would have been tricky, but I think we all would have been much happier._

* * *

Kyo started. She _had_ wondered about that, though without any other explanations, she hadn't brought it up with anyone. Not even herself… because the only other explanation she had hadn't been a pleasant one.

* * *

 _You see, right before we left you with Kaiba, we learned of a threat to mankind. Your mother and I, and a few others, set out to stop it. We had to leave you with Kaiba to protect you. But if we're gone, then that means we failed… and you're about to face danger unlike anything you've ever experienced before._

 _My Kuriboh deck won't be enough to protect you anymore. I know this is going to sound strange, but you need to make your deck your own. In order to face what's coming, you're going to need a deck that you've put your heart into. You can't rely on me anymore._

 _I've left a few cards here from my past. They're my favorite cards, though it's been years since I played any of them. I can't explain why –I don't have nearly enough paper– but they are powerful cards, and if you treat them well, they will never let you down._

* * *

She looked back at the cards. _So he was right._ She thought. _And these cards aren't just random ones that have nothing to do with my dad._

 _But why'd he give them up?_

She frowned. _And what about the Egyptian Gods?_

She returned to the letter.

* * *

 _There are three cards in particular, though, that I want you to be extremely careful with. The Egyptian God cards are the most powerful cards in Duel Monsters, but they're also the most dangerous. Most people can't even use them; their power tends to wipe out anyone who uses them carelessly, and very few actually have the power to use them. I only want you to use them if you have no other choice._

 _In fact, if Kaiba hasn't confiscated them yet, I'd like you to give him Obelisk the Tormentor. He used to own that card until I won it from him, and he can wield the Egyptian Gods effectively. But it might be best if you don't let him know you have the other two unless he respects you as a good duelist in your own right. It's more important right now that the Egyptian Gods aren't all in the same place; they can be tracked, and I'm not around to keep them hidden from the enemy. And if they fall into the wrong hands…_

 _I'm sorry, Kyo. I wish we could have stopped this evil. But I'm afraid we failed. You're going to need to be on guard from now on. Keep your eyes open; if you notice anything strange, make sure you get back to Kaiba so he can protect you. And in the meantime, make your deck as strong as you can – if he can't protect you, you're going to need to protect yourself. I didn't want to put you in this position, but we've failed, and it's up to you now._

 _This isn't how I wanted to say goodbye. Hopefully we'll see each other again on the other side. Hopefully not too soon, of course._

 _We love you, Kyo._

 _Dad and Mom._


	7. The Spirit in the Cards

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

Kyo opened the door and walked in, one hand tucked behind her back. "Um, Mr. Kaiba?" She started awkwardly. This was going to be tough to explain, but she had had an idea on the way up.

"What is it?" He queried, glancing up.

"I, uh, hadn't looked through all the cards when you came by." She said. "But there was another card, at the bottom."

He frowned at her. "And? Why should I care?"

She shifted. "Because my dad's letter asked me to give it to you." She said reluctantly. If she gave this one to him, he'd ask about the other two. She had to convince him she didn't have them. So she was acting hesitantly so it would seem like this was because she was giving up the only Egyptian God card she'd gotten her hands on, not because she was afraid he'd take the others.

Her statement had gotten his attention. "Is that so?" He queried, catching the hesitation on her face. "Just what card is this that he wants me to have?"

Kyo waited as long as she dared before pulling it out and passing it across his desk. "Obelisk the Tormentor."

He jolted as she spoke, and nearly missed the card. He snatched it from her fingers and stared at it for several long seconds.

She waited. Now that she couldn't take it back, she was very glad to not be holding it anymore; honestly, she hadn't liked the way the power in the card had been towering over her like a monstrous shadow. Her father hadn't really needed to warn her about the god cards; she had no intention of using any of them.

At least, not unless she absolutely had to. But if he had been telling the truth in his last letter… she might have to.

Seto started laughing.

Kyo stiffened. She had been scared enough holding Obelisk in her hands. She knew he would be pleased to have an Egyptian God. But hearing him laugh was terrifying – he sounded like a villain who had just gotten his hands on the last piece he needed for his master plan.

"Excellent." Seto smirked. Then he looked up at her. "I don't suppose there was more than one, or that his letter mentioned where the other two might be."

"No." Kyo shook her head. "All it said was that they had to be kept separated. Something about someone being able to track them, and since he…" She stopped. "He couldn't move them."

"Ah, I see," Seto said with interest. "I _wondered_ how he'd managed to keep them from resurfacing for so long. It makes sense that he'd keep them moving." He mused. "Thank you for bringing this to me." He got to his feet and headed to the door.

"Where are you going?" Kyo asked, hurrying after him.

"To the vaults. I'm going to add this to my deck." He said in a tone that told her she really shouldn't have had to ask. "Kisara should be home soon. I assume she took your deck; you'll want to get it prepared as soon as you can."

"Why?" She asked a little nervously, wondering if he meant he was going to duel her.

"We're going to Kaibaland." He said with a grin. "I'm going to have some fun."

 _Damn. He's scary._ Kyo thought, halting in her tracks as he walked away, laughing.

* * *

Kyo sat at the desk, staring at the cards laid out before her. The remaining Egyptian Gods were tucked away in hideaways around her room; she didn't dare risk anyone poking their noses into the gold box and finding them while she wasn't watching. She'd need to find better hiding places for them, but at the moment her concern was making sure no one saw them the instant they walked in.

 _He said they could be tracked._ She looked back at the letter briefly. _If that's the case, then I can't really risk letting them out of my sight. Although, Kaiba mansion is extremely well protected against thieves, so maybe they're safe for now._

She bit her lip. _But he also said they should be split up. At the moment, all three of them are here. Maybe if Mr. Kaiba has one, then that counts as 'separating' them, but that still means that two of them are too close to each other._

She glanced at one of the hiding places. _Should I take one?_

She reached over and slid Ra out carefully to avoid shredding it accidentally against the booby trap she'd set up for potential thieves. _Wouldn't that be lovely. I'm sure the Egyptian Gods would be really pleased if I did that._

She lifted the card. _I'd never play it, of course._ She had zero intention of doing that. The presence alone was intimidating enough; she knew she was not worthy to use them. Not yet.

 _Please,_ She prayed impulsively, then paused, wondering at her decision to pray to a card. She shoved the thought aside and bowed her head, closing her eyes in reverence. _I am not worthy to hold you. But let me honor my father's wishes and keep you safe._

For a moment, there was silence, and her disbelief came back. But then the presence seemed to shift slightly, and she realized Ra had heard her prayer, and had agreed.

 _Thank you._ She added, then tucked the card into her jacket. She'd keep it on her for now, so she'd know it was safe. She had a hidden lining in her jacket that would mean it wouldn't be easy to steal from her; only someone who knew she had it on her would even have a chance of finding it.

Of course, if the threat Yugi had mentioned could track the Egyptian Gods, then this was only a feeble defense.

Which brought her back to the cards laid out before her.

She didn't know if it was because Seto had said it was Yugi's favorite card. It certainly wasn't because it was the strongest monster – that would have been Black Luster Soldier. But something about the Dark Magician seemed to call out to her, and she knew she wanted this card to be her signature.

She picked it up.

The purple-clad magician gazed up at her from under his crooked wizard's hat, his blue eyes almost seeming to glow in the shadow of its brim. It wasn't the most lifelike in terms of artwork, not compared to more recent cards. But there was still something about it that gave it an energy the other cards didn't have.

Well, except for the Egyptian God cards.

Her eyes widened. _But why?_ She wondered. Again, this wasn't the strongest card Yugi was giving her. It didn't even have an effect.

But it had a spirit to it that even the Egyptian God cards didn't seem to have.

Her eyes narrowed as she studied the card, trying to see what the difference was. Her eyes quickly discounted the attributes of the Duel Monster, but lingered on the image… on the eyes.

Maybe she was staring too hard, but they almost seemed alive, gazing back at her with intensity.

She _felt_ it happen.

The presence behind her gained a sudden reality, and she froze. Slowly, very slowly, she raised her head and looked back.

The Dark Magician was standing there.

The Dark Magician was _standing_ there.

Their eyes met, and she realized he was studying her. The blank blue gaze seemed to pierce her soul, and she found herself thinking about every lie she'd ever told, and every punishment she'd meted out against those who'd hurt her or Kisara. Everything she had ever done, good and bad, seemed to pass before her eyes, as if summoned by the eyes of the magician standing before her – all so he could judge her.

She swallowed.

The magician's eyes narrowed slightly, and she found herself convicted by her own consciousness. She bowed her head, dropping her gaze. _I'm not worthy._ She thought. Just as she wasn't worthy to wield the Egyptian Gods, she didn't deserve to be holding the Dark Magician, either – not even if it was her father's favorite card.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled into the silence. "Please forgive me."

There was no response.

After a moment, she looked up. The magician's eyes met hers, and there was an odd expression on his face. He looked faintly grieved, and she caught faint shadows of her father's face cross her mind, accompanied by Seto's declaration of his death. Then her own confusion at seeing the Dark Magician in the golden box.

 _He cared about my dad._ She realized, though she wasn't sure how she knew. _And my dad… he…_

 _He abandoned him._

The magician twitched, as if sensing her pity, and his attention switched back to her. She wanted to use him, but he only answered to one – and he was no stranger to waiting. He would happily wait for eternity, and she was not–

Then he stopped.

Kyo blinked. _Who do you serve?_ She wondered. _My dad?_

 _The Pharaoh._

The answer came unbidden to her mind. And with it came a fresh wave of faintly-seen shadows – desert sands, an ancient palace, and a golden throne.

But the person sitting upon it…

The magician looked as startled as she did. She was the one sitting on the throne, though she couldn't explain how – she didn't look anything like the man in that chair. He looked a lot like Yugi, but…

 _Master?_ The Dark Magician's eyes focused on her with a new intensity.

 _'Master'?_ She echoed. _How is that…_

 _Reincarnation._ He realized, his expression shifting through a range of emotions too quickly for Kyo to recognize.

It landed on a sense of obligation, and he knelt. _"As I did in ages past, so I do in days renewed." He said silently. "I am your loyal servant."_

She stared at him. "What?"

The gaze lifted. _"I was the servant of the pharaoh for thousands of years. It seems he has chosen to be reincarnated in you. If it please you, let me serve you in this form as well."_

 _Uh…_ Kyo shifted uncomfortably. How was she supposed to answer that? What exactly was she supposed to say to a phantom Duel Monster who had just appeared out of nowhere and sworn to serve her?

"You… don't have to do that," She started, but then there was a knock on the door. She jumped and looked back, but the magician was gone. She looked down at the card and knew he was still there; he was just waiting now.

Waiting for her to summon him.

 _Okay, this is getting really complicated. I'm a pharaoh?_

There was another knock.

"Come in," She turned.

"Kyo?" Kisara queried as she came in, holding Kyo's deck. "You didn't come back to school. Is everything all right?"

She stopped.

 _Sheesh. Where do I even start?_

"Uh," She stammered.

"What are those?" Kisara asked as she came in, seeing the cards on her desk.

"Oh, those are Duel Monsters cards." Kyo said a little redundantly. "They're from my dad."

Kisara blinked and looked up. "Is he helping you with Father's challenge?" She asked.

"Um, no, not exactly." She hesitated, her expression clouding. She looked down. "They're dead."

Kisara stopped, then covered her mouth in shock. "Oh!" She gasped, then ran forward and hugged Kyo. "Oh, Kyo, that's so… I'm so sorry!"

"It's…" Kyo hesitated, but Kisara's touch was comforting, and she let out a breath, hugging her back. "Yeah." She whispered.

They held each other for a moment, then Kisara stepped back. "So what happened?" She asked sympathetically.

Kyo looked back at the desk, then went over and put Dark Magician down next to the other cards. She could worry about him in a minute; things kept swinging back and forth, and it was hard for her to focus on precisely what she was supposed to be doing.

"I… don't know, actually." She admitted. "Mr. Kaiba said something about an accident, but I… kind of missed the rest." She was pretty sure Seto hadn't said how. And if Yugi was telling the truth in his letter, it might not have been an accident at all.

"I'm so sorry." Kisara murmured, touching her shoulder. "Are you going to be all right? What happens now?"

Kyo looked up. "Well, Mr. Kaiba said I could stay," She said. "So I'll still be here for now, at least until I can take care of myself."

"Oh, good." Kisara smiled. "That's a relief, at least."

"Yeah." Kyo nodded. She rubbed her face. "We went to the bank from there – they left a box for me, in case something happened." She pointed at the gold box. "It had a letter and these cards inside."

Kisara frowned a little. "Cards?" She wondered. "I mean, I know that he's the King of Games, but I would've sent a picture or some kind of memento or something, not Duel Monsters cards. Or are they… are they special?"

"They are." Kyo said, a little wryly. "Apparently, they were his favorite cards before he got the Level-Up deck." She looked down at the Dark Magician. _And one of them has a mind of its own. Well, technically four of them do, at least as far as I know._

"Well, that's good at least," Kisara said. "Then you'll always have him with you."

"Yeah." She nodded. _I'd better rebuild my deck. With these new cards… oh!_ "Oh, and one of the cards he gave me was Obelisk the Tormentor." She added, turning. "One of the Egyptian God cards."

Kisara gasped in shock. "An Egyptian God card? Can I see it?"

"You'll have to ask your father," Kyo said. "I gave it to him. Dad asked me to in his letter, and really, it's better off with him. Those cards are really powerful."

"What about the other two?"

Kyo hesitated. "It just had the one." She lied. She didn't want Kisara getting mixed up in this – it was strange and terrifying enough as it was. Kisara was so timid; she didn't need to have that looming over her. Because if Kyo told her about the others, she'd also have to explain why she was keeping them… and about all the dangers of having one.

"Did he say where the other ones are?"

She shook her head. "Nope. But I'm guessing he gave them to someone else," She said. "They're really powerful, and he said it was safer if they weren't all together."

"That makes sense, I guess," Kisara decided. "But they're just cards. Put them on the forbidden list, and it won't be like anyone can use them to gain an unfair advantage."

Kyo shrugged. "Well, I said all that because now Mr. Kaiba wants to go to Kaibaland. He probably wants to duel with Obelisk in his deck."

"Oh." Kisara smiled. "Guess he would."

"We're going, too." Kyo added. "Now that I've got a legal deck again, I can play in dueling rings. And people at Kaibaland are there to duel; it'll be a lot easier to find people who will be willing to ante their cards."

Kisara blinked. "All of us?"

Kyo nodded grimly. "All of us. So I have to prepare my deck now that I have these new cards."

Kisara hesitated.

Kyo looked up. "You okay?"

She shifted. "I mean, well, you just lost your parents," She pointed out. "Are you sure you want to duel?"

Kyo looked back at the cards, then clenched her fists. "Yeah. I have to."

"He's still going to take your cards?" Kisara asked incredulously.

"I have to make my deck stronger." Kyo said. "And this is the best way to do it. I really need the practice."

Kisara gave her a worried look. "But Kyo, it's just a card game. You just lost your _parents_."

"I know." Kyo said firmly. "And I'm okay." She added, looking up. "I'll be fine."

Kisara hesitated, then deferred to Kyo's certainty. "If you say so." She said softly. She went to the door.

"Kisara?" Kyo called, and she looked back. "Thanks for checking up on me."

Kisara smiled. "Of course."


	8. First Official Duel

The three of them stood at the entrance to Kaibaland, decks in hand. It was a large theme park, with the Blue-Eyes White Dragon carved in statues all throughout. There were a number of dueling arenas for the kids who didn't have dueldisks, and a bunch of different rides for people who weren't interested in dueling at that moment. Food stands and merchandise peppered what little floor space was left, and everywhere there were people enjoying the sights of the park.

"All right." Seto turned. "You can go wherever you want to, as long as you stay within the park. Duel or don't, it doesn't matter to me, but remember, I'm still taking cards from each of your decks over time, so make the most of this opportunity." His eyes narrowed slightly. "Whatever you do, I recommend you don't disappoint me. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir." Kyo bowed her head, and Kisara nodded.

"We won't let you down, Father." She promised.

"Good. I expect to be here for some time." He said. "If you get tired or want to go home early, you know who to ask."

One of the duties of every manager Seto hired on in his company was the ability to drive one of his company vehicles, in case he wanted to get somewhere fast – and they all knew that they were to help his daughter (and Kyo) in the same manner.

With that, he strode away.

Kyo looked up. The sun was getting low. Now that school was out, there would be a number of students of all ages running around. But as the evening wore on, the younger ones would leave, and the older ones would get tougher, until only the hardcore duelists would be left dueling into the night.

She figured she could probably work in a couple of easy duels and a medium one before they got to the tougher opponents. She looked down at her deck; that should give her plenty of time to get used to wielding Dark Magician.

Despite what had happened, she had still put him in her deck. He was far stronger than any of the cards she had won at school, and frankly, she needed all the help she could get. It was strange to have someone swear loyalty to her, but maybe the Dark Magician had just been afraid she would lock him away the way Yugi had.

At that thought, she softened. _I promise never to lock you away, Dark Magician._ She decided. Maybe if it had been a regular card. But a person, an actual person, didn't deserve to be treated like that.

 _I promise to take care of you._

"Kyo? Are you there?"

She looked up. "Sorry," She apologized quickly. "Where would you like to start?"

Kisara hesitated. "Um, I just asked you that," She mumbled.

Kyo looked around. "All right, then let's start over here." She said, pointing in a somewhat random direction with all the assurance of someone who'd thought carefully about which way they wanted to go.

"Okay, sounds good." Kisara smiled and followed.

* * *

"You want to duel with an ante? What cards do you have?" The kid asked with interest, toting his longboard and a backpack. He was wearing a white t-shirt and a ball cap, and had actually come up to them asking to duel just as Kyo had started to look for a duelist.

Kyo pulled out her deck and flipped through. She didn't want to even mention her Dark Magician; she wasn't sure anyone would ante for it without a dedicated deck, but she didn't want to take the risk of losing him regardless. She didn't really want to risk Black Luster Soldier, either; especially not with her current deck of Kuribohs, which went well with the method used to summon the Envoy of the Beginning.

"I've got Honest, Creature Swap, Burial from a Different Dimension–"

"Wait, is that Dark Magician of Chaos?!" He interrupted as he peered over her shoulder. "I want that one!"

Kyo hesitated. "I don't know…"

"Here, here," He went to his deck. "I've got a Magician's Valkyria." He said, pulling it out. "She's low level, but when she's on the field, your opponent can't attack any other spellcasters you control."

Kyo had to admit that was interesting, but… "That's not as valuable." She said. It would be an incredibly valuable card once she had more spellcasters for her Dark Magician deck, but at the moment it was a Kuriboh deck, and that wouldn't help her.

He hesitated. "Well, I have two." He said a little reluctantly. "What if I ante'd both of them? Their effects work on each other, so if you have two on the field, your opponent basically can't attack."

Now that was valuable. But if she lost…

Kyo bit her lip. She didn't want to lose the Dark Magician of Chaos, especially since it was from her father. She hadn't practiced with her new deck; she didn't know how strong it was.

 _"Trust me, Master. I will not let you down."_

She looked down at her deck. She'd _heard_ that voice, clear as day. After the encounter, though, she knew it was in her head – a mental voice that only she could hear.

 _"Let me protect you, Master."_

 _You don't have to._ She thought. _I won't abandon you the way he did._

 _"Then trust me, Master. I will not fail you."_

She hesitated, then nodded. "All right." She said at last. _After all, he_ is _a Duel Monster. If I don't use him, it wouldn't be any better than if he was locked away somewhere. Would it?_

"Cool. My name's Dwayne, by the way." He held out his hand.

"I'm Kyo." She replied, taking it and smiling. "It's nice to meet you."

"Kyo? Like Kyo Moto?" He asked, startled.

Kyo blinked. "Yeah," She said slowly. "Why?"

"That's so cool!" He gasped. "Your dad's only the biggest name in Duel Monsters! I bet you're gonna be a tough duelist to beat!"

Kyo gave him a rueful smile. "I sure hope so. I'm sure you're a great duelist yourself."

Dwayne grinned. "Yup! C'mon, let's du– you don't have a dueldisk, do you?"

"No, I'm afraid not," Kyo said guiltily.

"That's okay, lots of kids don't have dueldisks." He looked a little disappointed, but rallied quickly and hurried off. "Come on, let's go find an arena!"

* * *

There was a small pilot stand on either end, where duelists would take their places and be lifted into the air over the field. Kyo stopped in front of hers and gazed at it for a moment.

 _This is it. My first true duel._ She stepped into it, and it lifted her up.

"C'mon, hurry up!" Dwayne called, waving at her. "Rock Paper Scissors, let's go!"

"What?" Kyo asked, then looked down at the digital dueling mat and the screen that showed her the cards on her opponent's side of the field. The screen flashed, registering her presence, then showed her three options.

"Tap on whichever one you pick, and that'll tell us which one of us can choose whether to go first or second." Dwayne said.

Kyo nodded and picked the rock. The screen whirled for a moment, then revealed that he had selected paper.

"Cool. I think I'll go first." He announced. He studied his hand for a moment, then said, "I'll set one monster facedown, and then I'll set a card here." He looked up. "Take it away, Kyo."

She drew. _Okay. He's got a facedown monster and possibly a trap. Not a very strong opening move, but it is going to keep me guessing. And without a clue as to what his strategy is, I could wind up taking some serious damage._

 _Not that my deck is all that offensive,_ She thought wryly as she looked through her hand. "I place three cards facedown and end my turn."

Dwayne chuckled. "All right, guess I'll be the one to launch an attack, huh? I summon Mythical Beast Cerberus in attack mode! Then I activate Mythical Bestiary, which lets me place two Spell Counters on Cerberus. And, because of Cerberus's special ability, it gains another Spell Counter, giving it a total of three."

Kyo looked down at the display. "Twenty-nine hundred attack points?" She queried, startled. _How is that possible for a level four monster?_

"Ah, so you don't know its special ability." Dwayne realized. "Not to worry. I'll explain. Mythical Beast Cerberus gets five hundred extra attack points for every Spell Counter on the card. These counters disappear when it makes an attack, but as you can see, it makes creating a powerful monster very easy if you have the right cards."

 _And it gained a Spell Counter when he played his spell card._ She noted. "Impressive." She said.

"Yeah." Dwayne grinned. "So, since you've got no monsters on the field, I'll attack directly. Go, Cerberus!"

"Well, I may have no monsters," Kyo said as the beast bounded towards her. "But I have Flute of Summoning Kuriboh, and Multiply." She flipped them over, and a flock of Kuriboh flooded the field. "The flute lets me summon Kuriboh, and by tributing it I can turn one Kuriboh into five, all in defense mode to protect my life points."

"Heh." Dwayne chuckled. "Nice. Well Cerberus destroys one of them." The beast chomped down, and the glowing orbs across its body lost their light. "So since it attacked, it loses its Spell Counters, and its attack power goes back to fourteen hundred. I'll place this card facedown and end my turn."

"My move." Kyo drew. _All right. He's still got a monster facedown, and he just replaced the spell._ She mused. "I activate Detonate!" She threw down the card she'd drawn. "This lets me tribute the Kuriboh on my side of the field in order to destroy the same number of cards on your side of the field." She lifted her hand. "You only have three, so I destroy all three with my self-destructing Kuriboh! Go!"

The Kuriboh tokens flew forward, squeaking, and as they peppered Dwayne's side of the field, they exploded. The Cerberus howled, and the second monster appeared to be a library of some sort. The facedown spell was Magical Dimension.

 _So I'm dealing with a spellcaster deck?_ She thought. _I guess that makes sense, since he has a Magician's Valkyria combo._ She looked down at her deck. _Let's see if my deck can handle this._

"Lastly, I'll summon a monster facedown. Your move, Dwayne." She said.

"All right! I set this card facedown, then I summon Magical Something in attack mode." Dwayne said, and a spellcaster appeared on the field. "Magical Something! Attack her facedown monster!"

The Winged Kuriboh squeaked as the magician's staff swiped through it.

"That's it for me." Dwayne concluded.

Kyo nodded and drew. She grinned, then grabbed one of her other cards. "I summon Kinka-Byo!" She declared, and the shadowy spirit-cat appeared on the field, its fur bristling and its eyes glowing.

"Thanks to Kinka-Byo's special ability, I can Special Summon one level one monster from my graveyard. I choose Kuriboh, in attack mode!" The furball reappeared on her side of the field.

"Attack mode, huh?" Dwayne said wryly. "Seems kinda pointless to me. Doesn't it get banished when it leaves the field?"

"Yes, but first," Kyo set down her card. "I'm going to activate Creature Swap! This lets us each choose a monster to swap with our opponent." She pointed. "And since the only monster you have is Magical Something, I'll take that, and I'll give you Kuriboh."

Dwayne grimaced. "Gotta admit I didn't see that one coming."

Kyo grinned back. "Now, Magical Something, attack his Kuriboh!"

The spellcaster darted across the field.

"Kinka-Byo, attack his life points directly!" Kyo added.

Dwayne pulled a face, and they both checked his life points on the display panel. He was down to twenty-one hundred, having just lost nineteen hundred in a single turn.

"That'll do for now." Kyo said. "And because Kinka-Byo is a spirit monster, it returns to my hand at the end of my turn."

"All right. I draw." Dwayne said. He studied his hand for a few seconds, then said, "I'll set one monster in defense mode and end my turn."

 _All right. I should attack while he's on the defensive._ She thought. "I summon Shining Angel in attack mode, then I'll have Magical Something attack your facedown monster. Go, Magical Something!"

The magician swiped right through the monster, destroying it, but not before she recognized Magical Undertaker.

"Magical Undertaker lets me summon a level four or lower spellcaster-type monster from my graveyard." He explained. "So I'll use it to summon Royal Magical Library in defense mode!"

 _That was that library from before._ Kyo thought. _But it's too strong defensively. Neither of my monsters can get past it._ She stepped back. _I'll just have to wait for now._ "All right, well I can't attack, so that's it for me."

"Sweet. I draw!" Dwayne grinned. "I'll place this card facedown, then I'll summon Magician's Valkyria in attack mode!"

He announced. "Valkyria, attack her Shining Angel!"

Kyo moved the angel to her graveyard as she lost two hundred life points. "Shining Angel's special ability allows me to summon a Light monster with fifteen hundred attack points or less in attack mode. I choose Winged Kuriboh!"

Dwayne snorted. "What, is your deck like, only Kuriboh? Come on! I thought you'd have something, I dunno, _bigger_."

Kyo gave him a wry look. "Well, you'll just have to wait and see, won't you?" That _was_ the weakness of the Kuriboh deck: no powerful monsters. Most of her strength had come from Creature Swap, Multiply/Detonate, and Transcendent Wings.

 _But that isn't the case anymore._ She thought. _I have Dark Magician and Black Luster Soldier._ She considered the field. _I'll need to draw one of them if I want to get past Royal Magical Library. Magical Something can defeat his Valkyria, but I'll need to draw something stronger very soon._

"It's my move." She drew. _This'll help._ "I activate Allure of Darkness!" She announced, lifting the card. "This lets me draw two cards. Then, I can either banish a dark monster, or I'll send my entire hand to the graveyard." _I'll banish Kinka-Byo–_

 _Dark Magician!_

She stopped, staring at him. She had literally just been thinking about him, and there he was. He could have been anywhere in her deck. She had multiples of every other card she needed for her strategies to make sure she pulled them, but this…

"Well?" Dwayne asked, a little impatiently as she just stood there. "Do you have a dark monster to banish or not?"

"I banish Kinka-Byo." She said, then looked through her options.

He'd even come with a way to summon himself.

"Next, I'll switch Winged Kuriboh to defense mode." She said. "Then I activate Mimiclay. As long as you control a monster, I can select one level one monster in defense mode on my side of the field, then special summon one with the same name from my deck. I choose Winged Kuriboh, so I pull another Winged Kuriboh."

"Okay, that's a _lot_ of puffballs to have in one deck." Dwayne grumbled.

"Don't worry." Kyo said, lifting the Dark Magician. "It's time to summon something a little bit stronger." She could practically feel the card vibrating with anticipation. _This is the first time he's being played in years._

Dwayne blinked.

"I tribute Winged Kuriboh (which is banished when it leaves the field due to Mimiclay's effect) and Magician Something (which returns to your graveyard) in order to summon my Dark Magician!" Kyo announced as she threw the card down. "Dark Magician, come forth!"


	9. Dark Magician's Promise

Smoke enveloped the two tributes, and the purple-robed spellcaster emerged from within, dispelling it and lifting into the air. Kyo could tell how pleased he was to be out – it was like the feeling of stepping outside for the first time after being inside for too long. The light was bright and warm, the world buzzing with energy, and his own spirit was keening with the chance to spread its wings.

 _Welcome back._ She smiled.

He looked back at her, and returned her smile. _"Thank you, Master."_

 _I'm not–_

"Dark Magician?" Dwayne queried a little derisively. "That's your big play?"

They both looked back at him.

"I mean, don't get me wrong, he's got a lot of attack points, but he's pretty hard to use, and he doesn't have any effects that make it worth the extra effort it takes to get him on the field." Dwayne said.

Kyo could sense Dark Magician's annoyance, and carefully kept her thoughts quiet. Things _had_ evolved quite a bit since Dark Magician was one of the most powerful monsters in the game, and Dwayne had a point.

He patted his deck. "Mythical Beast Cerberus is easy to summon, and with the right spell cards, or even just the right number of spell cards, he can be made much stronger than your magician. Plus," He lifted a hand. "All the powerful spellcasters that have come out since Dark Magician are much stronger, or much easier to summon… or both."

Kyo's eyes narrowed. "Would you stop insulting my monster, please?"

"Suit yourself." He shrugged. "He's pretty useless, but if you want to use him, go ahead."

She grimaced and looked back at the field.

 _Well, he's got Valkyria and his Library, as well as a facedown card. I should be careful about his facedown card; traps weren't really an issue when I was playing a Kuriboh strategy, so I don't have a lot of ways to counter them. And if I'm going to focus on Dark Magician, I'll need to start thinking about what counters larger monsters and how to get around them._

Her goal, though she would never admit it near Sirius, would be to have a deck like his Red-Eyes strategy – one that would ensure that Dark Magician would never be gone for long, regardless of where he was sent. There should be plenty of support cards out there for the Dark Magician; it would just take time to gather what she needed to build that kind of deck.

Losing now, though, would be a serious blow to that plan. She had to be careful.

 _Well, either way, I can't risk him summoning another Valkyria, or I won't be able to attack._ She decided. "Dark Magician! Attack his Magician's Valkyria!"

He took off, whirling his staff, and thrust it out. An orb of purple energy started to form.

"You've activated my trap!" Dwayne shouted, and Kyo felt a nasty jolt of fear. "Magician's Circle!"

 _Oh good. At least he isn't taking out Dark Magician–_

 _Oh. Not good._

"Magician's Circle is activated whenever a spellcaster-type monster declares an attack." Dwayne said. "It lets us each summon a spellcaster-type monster to the field in attack mode."

"Let me guess." She said sarcastically. "You summon Magician's Valkyria."

He laughed. "You bet I do. I summon Magician's Valkyria in attack mode!"

As the second Valkyria stepped up, a magical force field emitted from both of them, blocking their side of the field.

"Now, you can't attack, because all of my monsters are spellcaster-type!" Dwayne chuckled.

"Well, I get to summon a spellcaster monster too." Kyo said grumpily, flipping through her deck. "I summon Dark Magician Girl, in attack mode!"

The female mage popped up on the field. She blinked and looked around, then looked up and beamed at the sight of Dark Magician. She waved, then spun back around to face the enemy.

"But you're right." Kyo admitted. "Due to your Valkyria, I can't attack."

Dark Magician floated down slowly, the magic fading.

 _This is bad. All I have is Honest. My Wolf in Sheep's Clothing won't work if I don't have a Kuriboh in my hand, so that card's just taking up space on the field right now._ "Go ahead and make your move."

"With pleasure." He drew, then laughed. "Speaking of the newer spellcasters, here's a taste. I activate Magical Citadel of Endymion!"

A giant citadel appeared in the air overhead. Magical runes and floating stones drifted through the air in a mystical dance around the citadel.

"Because I activated a spell card, my Royal Magical Library gains a Spell Counter." Dwayne pointed as a glowing rune appeared in the library.

"What does your citadel do?" Kyo asked, glancing at the display panel, then back up at the floating citadel.

"Well, by now you may have noticed how many Spell Counters I've been generating." Dwayne said. "The Citadel helps me manage them. But it'll also help me summon a monster much more powerful than your Dark Magician." He spread his hands. "I don't have him yet, though, so in the meantime, I'll switch my two Valkyria to defense mode." He gestured. "Your move."

Kyo shifted and looked down at her deck. At the moment, there was only one way she'd be able to get past his defenses, and that was if she summoned Black Luster Soldier. But even if she drew it, she wouldn't be able to summon it, because she didn't have any dark monsters in her graveyard.

She looked up. She had two on the field, but the thought of sacrificing either of them like that was repugnant. Of course, if she drew Burial from a Different Dimension, that would let her bring back the Kuriboh and Kinka-Byo, both of which were dark monsters, and put them in her graveyard again. But that meant she would have to draw _two_ cards to win, and they could be anywhere in her deck.

She drew.

 _Berserker Crush?_ She grimaced. _That won't help me now!_ She added it to her hand. _In fact, it'd only help Dwayne. His cards get Spell Counters whenever a spell card is activated, and I don't know what they do once they're charged up with enough counters to activate their effects._

 _Damn it!_ She clenched her fist. _I'm not equipped to handle Magician's Valkyria, and if Dwayne wins, I'll lose Dark Magician of Chaos!_

 _"Trust me."_

She stopped and looked up, and Dark Magician looked back at her.

 _"I swore to serve and protect you, Master."_ He said silently. _"I will not fail you."_

 _But how?_ She wondered. _I don't have any support cards for you._

He smirked. _"I would hardly be a magician worth mentioning if that could stop me."_

She blinked.

 _"Trust in your deck, Master. It will come through for you."_

She looked down at her deck. She wasn't sure what he meant, but…

"I set one card facedown and end my turn." She said.

"I draw!" Dwayne announced. "I activate Spell Power Grasp!" He threw the card down, and an orb of magical energy appeared over the field. "This lets me add a Spell Counter to a card on the field. I choose the Magical Citadel." He pointed, and one of the floating stones started glowing. "Then, since I activated a spell card, both my Citadel and my Library gain Spell Counters!"

 _Counter Cleaner might be a good way to fight back._ Kyo thought suddenly. _Of course, I don't have one…_

"Lastly, Spell Power Grasp lets me add another Spell Power Grasp from my deck to my hand. I can only activate one of them per turn, but that's fine. They gave me all I needed. Now, Royal Magical Library has enough Spell Counters for me to activate its special ability!"

Kyo looked over at the library, where three Spell Counters were now fading away.

"This lets me draw one card." He drew, then grinned. "And I'll go ahead and activate it: Mythical Bestiary! I have to send two cards to my graveyard, but then I can put two Spell Counters on a card I control." Dwayne pointed. "And I'll choose my Citadel!"

Kyo's eyes narrowed. _He's building up for something big._

 _He said he didn't have his powerful spellcaster yet. But if he draws it, then he might be able to summon it without sacrificing his Valkyria guard. And that spellcaster will be protected by them, leaving it free to attack or use any special abilities it has while I'm a sitting duck._

It didn't look good at all.

"And, since it was a spell card, they both gain new Spell Counters again." Dwayne concluded. "That's it for me."

"All right." Kyo turned. _Trust the deck._ She thought. It was a new concept for her; she hadn't really thought of the deck as being an entity to trust. It had just been a collection of cards – cards that, if added in the right combination, could create a strategy regardless of what she drew. But with the Dark Magician in her deck, had things changed? Was it something… more?

She drew and blinked.

 _Escape from the Dark Dimension._

 _This lets me summon a monster that has been removed from play._ She thought. _I could bring back Kuriboh. It would be sent to the graveyard. Then, when I draw Black Luster Soldier, I'll have what I need to get past his barrier._

"I set one card facedown and end my turn."

"Guess you can't do anything, huh?" Dwayne shook his head. "See what I mean?" He drew and grinned. "Well, even if you don't, you will now. I activate Spell Power Grasp to add another Spell Counter to my Citadel, and both my Citadel and Library gain another Spell Counter. I'll add another Spell Power Grasp to my hand." He flipped through.

 _What did he draw?_ Kyo wondered, her gut twisting a little.

"And now," Dwayne said dramatically. "I have enough Spell Counters to summon _my_ ultimate spellcaster." He raised his hand. "I remove six Spell Counters from my Magical Citadel to bring forth my Endymion, the Master Magician!"

The citadel whirled, and the Spell Counters coalesced into an orb of energy. They flew apart, and out of them came a spellcaster in black robes, wielding a magical crook.

 _Twenty-seven hundred?_ Kyo stiffened. _That's enough to take out Dark Magician!_

"See? My magician makes summoning him easy – plus, he's got a few special powers that make him definitely worth it!" Dwayne grinned. "If Endymion is summoned with his own effect, I get to add one spell card from my graveyard to my hand. And I choose Mythical Bestiary!" He pulled it out. "Which I'll go ahead and activate, sending two cards to my graveyard from the top of my deck in order to place two Spell Counters on my Magical Citadel. And, since it was a spell, my cards get Spell Counters!"

 _Meaning he'll soon have enough to summon another one._ Kyo thought weakly.

That was exactly what she wanted. She wanted ways to be able to summon Dark Magician quickly and easily to the field.

"Now that Library's been stocked up again, I'll activate its effect to draw another card." He drew. "Which I'll set for now." He straightened. "Now, I'll switch both my Valkyria to attack mode. Endymion, attack her Dark Magician Girl!"

 _Not Dark Magician?_ Kyo thought, feeling faintly relieved, but mostly annoyed. It seemed like an underhanded move for him to go after a weaker monster when he had enough to take out Dark Magician.

Dark Magician Girl braced herself as Endymion powered up, and Kyo realized she was feeling some of Dark Magician's anger as well. It might be a way to inflict more damage to Kyo, but it still seemed cowardly.

Endymion attacked, and Dark Magician Girl was destroyed.

"Then I'll have one of my Magician's Valkyria attack your Winged Kuriboh!" Dwayne continued.

"I activate Berserker Crush!" Kyo retorted. Her Kuriboh might not be in attack mode, which would have destroyed his Valkyria, but it would still prevent Winged Kuriboh from being sent to the graveyard. "This lets me choose one monster in my graveyard, and give its attack and defense points to my Winged Kuriboh, and I choose Dark Magician Girl–"

"Think again!" Dwayne shouted back, flipping over a card. "I activate Anti-Spell! This lets me remove two Spell Counters on my side of the field to negate Berserker Crush and destroy it!" He grinned. "Go, Valkyria!"

Kyo grimaced and sent both cards to the graveyard. _Sorry, Kuriboh._ She thought.

 _I'm apologizing to a card._ She noticed.

 _I'm apologizing to Kuriboh._ She corrected. Maybe that was part of the problem. She didn't really trust her deck, because it had just been a bunch of cards to her. But now that she had Dark Magician…

"But that's not all." Dwayne said viciously, and she looked up again. "You see, Endymion's got another special ability." He lifted a card from his hand. "If I discard a spell card from my hand, then Endymion can destroy one card on the field."

Kyo stiffened, her eyes widening.

"Your Dark Magician's no help to you now." Dwayne chuckled darkly. "Go, Endymion! Destroy her Dark Magician!"

 _No!_

Endymion powered up, runes forming around him and around Dark Magician. The runes glowed with power, their light growing until they obscured Dark Magician completely.

Then he was gone.

She could feel it – even before the light started to fade. She knew the exact moment he'd been destroyed. _No! Dark Magician!_ She flinched as the orb exploded, leaving nothing in its place.

"Well, look at that." Dwayne gloated. "You've got no monsters on the field, and even if you did, they can't get past my Valkyria." He laughed. "And with Endymion on the field, I can destroy anything you dish out!"

Kyo stiffened.

"Your Dark Magician of Chaos is as good as mine." Dwayne grinned.

 _He's right._ She thought hollowly. _I'm going to lose. There's nothing I can do._

 _I can't believe I let him destroy Dark Magician._ She bowed her head, wincing as her eyes grew hot.

 _And now, I'm going to lose Dark Magician of Chaos. One of Dad's most powerful cards. How could I have been so careless?_

Dwayne's deck was so much stronger than any of the kids at school, except maybe Sirius. If she'd had Sirius's deck, she might have been able to get past his monsters. She certainly wouldn't be facing him now with nothing on the field, and nothing useful in her hand.

 _"Trust me, Master."_

Her eyes flew open, and she looked over at her graveyard, where the Dark Magician card was resting.

 _"I would never let you down."_

 _But how?_ She thought. _I don't have anything that can stop him. If anything, I let you down._ She bowed her head again. _I'm sorry, Dark Magician._

 _"Please, Master."_ He begged, and she looked up again. _"I swore to protect you, and I will. Just draw."_

She hesitated.

Finally, she nodded. _All right._ She thought, reaching for her deck. She closed her eyes. _Please, let this work..._


	10. To Protect and Support

Kisara had to admit she was worried. She had never seen Kyo this far behind in a duel before. Sure, Sirius had a habit of filling his side of the field with dragons, but even then, Kyo had always had a Winged Kuriboh or a Mirror Force – something to take him down. But Kyo hadn't used her facedown card, which she surely would have if it had been a way to start one of those chains and turn this duel around.

Plus, these were her father's cards. Dark Magician, and Dark Magician Girl – they were stronger than Kyo's Kuriboh. If even they had been defeated, then how would Kyo win? If she lost, she'd lose one of her most powerful cards.

So why was Kyo looking so relaxed?

 _She's always so composed._ Kisara thought in awe. _As if she knows she's going to win. I can't think how, but…_

 _That's never stopped her before, has it?_

"I'm afraid your magician isn't as powerful as you think, Dwayne." Kyo said, lifting the card she'd drawn. "I've got something better."

He twitched.

"In order to summon it, I need to banish one light monster, and one dark monster." She smirked. "And I banish Winged Kuriboh… and my Dark Magician."

"Decided he's useless after all?" Dwayne muttered, but he didn't sound quite so cocky.

He knew what was coming.

"On the contrary, Dwayne," Kyo said fiercely, "I'm going to use him to destroy you. But first, I summon Black Luster Soldier, Envoy of the Beginning!" She threw the card down.

A rift formed in the air over the field, and out of it emerged the chaos soldier, clad in night-blue armor and wielding a wicked scimitar.

"Of course, I can't attack," She said, "But that won't stop a creature of chaos." She spread her arms. "Black Luster Soldier, banish his Master Magician! Send him to the dark dimension!"

The soldier's lip curled, and he lifted his scimitar. He leapt into the air, slicing through the sky overhead. Another rift appeared, and started sucking in the world around it.

Endymion resisted for a few seconds, but even the Master Magician was no match.

Kyo grinned at Dwayne's scowl. "And that's not all." She shot back, flipping over one of her facedown cards. "Escape from the Dark Dimension, which lets me bring back one of my banished dark monsters." She spread her hands. "Dark Magician, return!"

Out of the still-open rift came a shadow, which shot down to land beside the chaos soldier. It straightened, reforming as the Dark Magician.

A flicker of relief passed through her, and she turned. "Your move, Dwayne."

He looked sour.

"I set one monster facedown and switch my two Valkyria to defense mode." He said irritably.

"My move." Kyo drew. "Black Luster Soldier, banish one of his Valkyria!"

The soldier opened up the rift, and she was sucked up out of sight. Dwayne braced himself, grimacing.

"And without your second Valkyria," She thrust out her hand. "Your barrier is broken! Now, I can attack. Dark Magician, attack his other Valkyria!"

He flew up into the air, spinning his staff, and brandished it with a shout. A purple orb of power shot down, and the Valkyria was destroyed.

Kyo's eyes narrowed. "Your move."

Dwayne drew, but his expression was still stony. "I set one card facedown and end my turn."

Kyo smirked. "My move." She drew. _Hmm. That might be a good backup if he finds a way to come back. She looked up at the field. Plus, I don't know what his facedown monster is. I could attack now, but I don't want to blow it._ "Black Luster Soldier, banish his facedown monster!"

It turned out to be another Magical Undertaker. But because it was banished, Dwayne couldn't use its effect.

"Dark Magician, destroy his Royal Magical Library!" She shouted.

The library went up in flames.

"Lastly, I'll set one monster and one card facedown on the field." She said. "Your move, Dwayne."

He drew. "I place one monster facedown and end my turn." He said sourly.

 _This is it._ She thought, drawing. _And isn't that appropriate._ She smirked, then looked down at Kisara.

There was an entire crowd watching. Kyo was momentarily disoriented; she had been so caught up in the duel that she hadn't noticed the attention she'd been getting.

She was profoundly glad she was winning.

She sought out Kisara, and as their eyes met, she winked. Kisara blinked, then grinned back.

"All right, Dwayne." Kyo turned back to the field. "This is the end. Black Luster Soldier, banish his facedown monster!"

An Apprentice Magician was sucked up into the sky.

Her fists clenched. _This is it._ "Dark Magician!" She called, and he looked back at her. Their eyes met, and he nodded silently. She felt a flicker of relief, and raised her hand. "Attack him directly!" She commanded. "Wipe out the rest of his life points with Dark Magic Attack!"

The magician leapt into the air, raising his staff, and Kyo caught herself admiring him. Even Endymion and his fancy castle didn't really compare. Not right here, not in this very moment.

He spun, brandishing his staff, and a blast of purple energy shot down to Dwayne's side of the field. The scoreboard ringed as his life points dropped to zero, and there was a bell as the winner was declared.

The monsters started to fade, and Dark Magician looked back, meeting her gaze one last time.

 _Thank you._ She said fervently, and he nodded as he vanished.

 _I'm going to be a_ lot _more careful going forward._ She added as she picked up her cards.

"That was amazing!"

"That was so cool how you came from behind like that!"

"Can I see your Black Luster Soldier?"

"Do you want to duel?"

She forced her way through the crowd and found Kisara, who gave her a quick hug.

"Nice job, Kyo." She said quietly.

"Thanks." Kyo smiled back, then turned to seek out Dwayne. He was still coming down from his stand. "Hey," She came over and held out her hand. "Good duel."

"Hmph." Dwayne grunted, looking away and not taking her hand.

Kyo blinked. "You dueled well. It was a tough fight." She said bracingly.

"You're just lucky you drew Black Luster Soldier." He snapped, slapping the two Magician's Valkyria into her hand. "If you hadn't, I would've won."

She frowned as he shunted her out of the way, but she let him go; a few minutes ago, she thought it would have been her handing over something just as precious, so she wasn't about to fault him for his lack of sportsmanship.

"Can I see?" Kisara asked, peering over her shoulder. "What are they?"

"Magician's Valkyria." Kyo said, lifting them. "If you have one on the field, then your opponent can't attack any other spellcasters. But if you have two on the field, well then,"

"They can't attack any at all." Kisara smiled. "Those are pretty powerful, huh?"

"Yeah." Kyo looked back at them. "While they don't protect my Kuriboh, I still think they'll be invaluable in my deck." She looked around. "I think I'm going to try the store and get a couple of booster packs. I'm still transitioning between Kuriboh and Dark Magician, and I almost lost this duel because of that. I need more cards to support him."

"Your Dark Magician?" Kisara asked.

"Yeah." Kyo nodded. She could see that Kisara looked nervous; she was probably expecting Kyo to mention the fact that she needed to duel, too. "Do you mind if we do that real quick?" She asked. If she gave Kisara a little time to work up to it, she might be more ready to duel.

"Sure!" Kisara said, relieved. "I think the stores are over this way," She pointed.

"Excellent." Kyo started off, and Kisara followed quickly.

* * *

"What did you think of the duel?" Kyo asked as she scanned the shelves.

Kisara was looking around at the other duelists in the shop, but turned as she spoke. "I thought you were amazing." She said instantly. "Especially the way you brought Dark Magician back by banishing him first."

Kyo snorted. "I was terrible. I didn't have anywhere near enough support cards to protect Dark Magician, and his Endymion would have taken me out if I didn't have Black Luster Soldier." She shook her head. "No, I need a better strategy."

"What are you thinking?" Kisara asked curiously.

"Well, first off, I should have done this first." Kyo grabbed a spellcaster booster pack. "And I think I'll need some more general cards. Right now all I have is Kuriboh with a dash of spellcaster, and that really doesn't work anywhere near as well as I'd like." She took the two card packs up to the counter. "These, please." She said.

"Have you checked out our specials?" The lady asked, patting a case of single cards. "Endymion, the Master Magician. One day only, while supplies last! You can get Endymion for ten, or you can get the entire deck for fifty – a bargain price for an unbeatable spellcaster deck! Mythical Beast Cerberus, Royal Magical Library, and Magician's Valkyria are all included."

Kyo blinked, then smiled wryly. _Guess that's where Dwayne got his deck…_ She shook her head. "Thank you, but no thanks." She paused. "Do you have anything for Dark Magician?"

"Dark Magician?" The lady queried thoughtfully. "That's one of the older cards, isn't it?" She went to her computer, missing Kyo's grumpy expression.

"Kyo?" Kisara asked cautiously.

"It's nothing." She said. For some reason, every time she heard someone say that –that Dark Magician was an old card or wasn't as powerful as it used to be– made her want to feature it in her deck even more. She knew there were ways to make any card work if you really wanted to, but the thought that even the _world_ had moved on from this card was intolerable.

 _If Dad hadn't abandoned him, I bet it wouldn't have._ She thought bitterly. _I bet, if that had been Dad's favorite card, and he always used it, that there would be all kinds of support for it._

"Oh, that's right." The lady said suddenly. "I have a retro pack in the back. It's got things like a Thousand Knives and Dark Magic Curtain. Will that do?"

"Yes, please." Kyo said quickly.

The woman smiled. "It'll be nice to finally have it out. No one asks for Dark Magician cards anymore." She hustled into the back, and Kyo bristled.

"Kyo?" Kisara asked again.

"I don't care what it takes." Kyo said in a fierce undertone. "My deck's going to be the strongest deck out there, and Dark Magician's going to be my star."

Kisara blinked. "Are you sure?" She asked. "I mean, if it doesn't have a lot of support cards, wouldn't it be better if you picked something else?"

"No way. _No_ way." Kyo said firmly.

The woman came back out. "And you know what, since you're the first person who's asked for them in so long, I'll give them to you for free." She set the pack on the counter next to the other two. "How's that?"

"That's fine." Kyo said quickly.

"All right, your total is twelve-fifty."

She passed the money over and swept the card packs up off the counter. "Thanks."

The lady smiled again. "Have fun dueling!"

* * *

Kyo was steaming as she tore through the card packs. _Hmph. 'One of the older cards'. 'Retro'. 'No one ever asks for them'._ She flipped through the card packs. _These are decent cards! Why doesn't anyone use them?_

 _I will._ She promised. _I will, and I'll be a great duelist, too. I'll show them all._

She paused and looked over at the card. There was a flicker, and she looked up to see him standing invisibly beside them.

 _"I am honored, but you need not compromise for me."_ He said quietly. _"I will protect you in whatever way I can… even if it means allowing myself to be sent to the graveyard to ensure your victory."_

Kyo gazed back. _Why?_ She asked. _Why are you so loyal to me? We've never even met before._

He gave her a sad smile. _"All my life, it has been my duty to look after you, regardless of what form that takes."_

 _The pharaoh, right?_ Kyo asked. _How am I a pharaoh…?_

"Kyo? You okay?" Kisara asked.

She twitched and looked around at her. "Yeah." She mumbled vaguely, then looked back at him. _How could I be some kind of pharaoh?_

 _"You are not, not anymore."_ The Dark Magician said. _"You chose to be reincarnated. Your soul was reborn."_

Kyo bit her lip. _But wouldn't that free you from your duty to protect me? If I'm a completely new person… how do you know that's what you want to do?_

She could feel his amusement like a warmth in her soul. _"Because you never change, Master."_ He said gently.

She thought about that.

"Aw shucks!"

They both looked up as a gust of wind hit them. Kyo had a strong grip on her cards, but the one who'd spoken hadn't been so lucky; his cards were flying across the ground.

They both got up instantly and ran forward to help him. Kyo tucked her cards into her pocket and pounced on a set of four, and Kisara grabbed another two.

"Thanks," The boy, looking very embarrassed, ran up. "Can't believe I let that 'appen." He said in a thick southern accent.

"Here you go." Kyo picked them up carefully and held them out.

"They're so beautiful," Kisara said with a smile as she studied one. "Crystal Beast Ruby Carbuncle?"

"Yup," He grinned. "I know it's kinda cheap t' use a recipe deck, but I've 'ad these cards f'r ages, and they've always been there when I need 'em most. Silly, right?"

"That's not silly at all." Kyo smiled warmly. _He seems nice enough._ She thought. _And Kisara took a liking to him._ "Say, are you a duelist?" She asked.

"I shore am. You?" He returned.

"Yes, but I'm in the middle of restructuring my deck." Kyo said ruefully. "I'd love to see your monsters in action, though. I've heard of the Crystal Beasts." She hadn't, but she'd noticed a Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus and Crystal Beast Cobalt Eagle. All three of them were low-level monsters.

"Yeah? Dang." He rubbed the back of his head. "You mus' really know your cards. It's not a very well-known deck. I'm Jesse, by the way." He held out his hand.

"Jesse. My name's Kyo, and this is Kisara, my friend." Kyo introduced. She looked over at Kisara. "What do you think, Kis? Want to duel him?"

She blushed shyly. "Um," She mumbled.

"Hey, I'm up for a duel anytime." Jesse grinned. "O' course, we'd 'ave to use a dueling arena. I don't 'ave a dueldisk."

"We don't either, so that works out." Kyo said. She didn't think Kisara was ready to step up, even to someone this polite, so she didn't ask; she'd gotten enough of Kisara's permission from her failure to retract it.

"Awright. I know a place. Not a lotta people go there, so there's always a ring open." Jesse said, waving. "It's a bit of a hike, but the crowds're a lot smaller. It's nice when you're tryin' t' concentrate."

 _Perfect._ "That sounds good. We'll follow you." Kyo grinned.


	11. Crystal Beasts

"So what d'you think?" Jesse asked, gesturing around. "Nice place, huh?"

"It's _beautiful_." Kisara said. The dueling ring was right next to a waterfall, tucked at the base of a forested ravine. There was no one around, and the sound of rushing water blocked out everything else, making it feel like they were out in the middle of nowhere.

 _It's perfect._ Kyo thought with relief. _No crowds, a polite opponent, and a lovely dueling arena._

"Awright. D'you 'ave a pref'rence on which side you'd like?" He asked.

Kisara looked around. "Hm. I'd love to be able to see the waterfall, I guess," One of the stands was angled somewhat away from it.

"You'd better take that side, then." Jesse said. "An' would you like t' go first?"

Kyo smiled wryly. _He's_ very _polite._ She thought, then noticed his slightly awkward expression and wondered if he might be a little smitten. Kisara _was_ pretty, but no one ever noticed because she was always so shy.

"Um, sure, thank you," Kisara beamed back.

Jesse blushed a little.

 _Yep. Definitely smitten. That will work in Kisara's favor,_ Kyo noted, _Which will be good for her first duel, to help boost her confidence. But she won't always charm her opponents; this isn't how it will always be when she duels._

"Okay," Kisara said as they stood on their platforms. The rushing water would have made it difficult to hear them, but there were discrete speakers to project their voices.

It took Kyo a moment to find the one near her. _I wonder if Mr. Kaiba installed those for people who duel quietly._ She thought. Kisara wasn't exactly assertive, and any duel with holograms tended to be more than talking distance apart, especially with background noise.

"I'll set this monster facedown." Kisara said. She hesitated, then nodded. "And that will do it for me."

Kyo tilted her head. _A quiet opening move. Pretty standard for Kisara, though her deck is actually a bit more aggressive than she plays…_

"Awright." Jesse drew. "Well, I summon Crystal Beast Amber Mammoth in attack mode." He said, and a large, furry mammoth appeared, bedecked with ambers. "Nex', I'll activate Crystal Release an' equip it t' my Amber Mammoth." He continued, laying down another card. "This gives my Mammoth an eight hundred point boost."

 _Twenty-five hundred attack points._ Kyo thought. _Impressive for an opening move._

"Go, Amber Mammoth!" He called. "Attack her facedown monster!"

The mammoth trumpeted a challenge and galloped forward, stomping across the facedown card, which revealed itself to be a large, glittering white stone.

"You destroyed my White Stone of Legend." Kisara said as the stone crumbled. "This means I can add my Blue-Eyes Divine Dragon to my hand."

"Blue-Eyes?" Jesse blinked. "Y'mean like Blue-Eyes White Dragon?"

She nodded. "Yes, actually," She said a little shyly.

He frowned. "I thought only Mr. Kaiba 'ad that card."

She blushed a little. "I'm his daughter."

Jesse froze, and it was plain he hadn't been expecting that. Kyo's mouth twitched with amusement. _And there goes his infatuation._ She thought. _He might not be so… friendly, now._ She frowned. If he stopped being friendly, that might not go over so well. Not that Kisara would be angry, but she might get upset or flustered.

 _For her sake, I hope his politeness is more than skin-deep._ Kyo folded her arms.

"Man. I'm sorry. I had no idea." Jesse said awkwardly.

"It's okay," Kisara said quietly, looking faintly uneasy, as if she thought he might… stop being friendly.

Kyo frowned.

"It's… a lot to live up to." Kisara added.

Jesse considered her for a moment, then smiled. "Guess I c'n understand that." He said. "Well, think it's still my turn, so I'm gonna set this card facedown an' pass it back t' you."

She seemed relieved.

 _Good. He's not too shallow._ Kyo nodded approvingly. _But that doesn't mean Kisara is out of the woods yet. Recipe decks are built around a particular strategy, and this might be another one where the low-level monsters are powered up and high-level ones are easier to summon._

Kisara grimaced at the card she'd drawn.

 _Kaibaman._ Kyo thought as soon as she caught Kisara's expression. It was a card that rather embarrassed her; it had been actually designed to look like Seto (albeit with a dragon helmet to hide his face). She kept in her deck more because she didn't want Seto to think she didn't really want it, but Kyo could tell which card it was every single time she drew it due to the embarrassed expression she always got.

It was a card that could be tributed to summon a Blue-Eyes dragon from her hand or deck, which made it useful for getting the Blue-Eyes onto the field. But Kisara had never played it. Ever.

Kyo's mouth twitched in amusement. _Ah well. She'll have to figure a way around using it._

"I summon Protector with Eyes of Blue in attack mode!" Kisara announced. "This lets me summon Master with Eyes of Blue in defense mode. Then, I'll activate Protector's special ability: this lets me send Master with Eyes of Blue to the graveyard in order to summon Blue-Eyes Divine Dragon from my hand in attack mode!"

The Protector turned, lifting his sword and pointing it at the Master, who closed his eyes. A beam of light shot up from the Master, spreading wider and growing limbs until it took the form of a Blue-Eyes White Dragon, lit with blue lines of energy.

Kyo shifted. There were only three Blue-Eyes White Dragons in existence, and all of them were in Seto's deck. He hadn't wanted to give any of them up, or allow any new ones to be created. Yet he'd also wanted Kisara to continue his Blue-Eyes strategy. So he had one very special card made specifically for her – the Blue-Eyes Divine Dragon.

It was this card that her deck revolved around. Like Sirius's Red-Eyes, it was all about getting Blue-Eyes on the field and keeping it there. And Blue-Eyes was much stronger than Red-Eyes. Of course, Red-Eyes had a multitude of forms, and Sirius had a ton of different Red-Eyes monsters. In the Blue-Eyes deck, the Divine Dragon stood alone.

"Wow." Jesse mumbled, staring up at the white dragon in unreserved awe. "'s even more beautiful in person."

Kisara smiled, getting a little pink.

 _Easy, Kis. You're dueling, remember?_ Kyo thought wryly. _Besides, you'd have to introduce him to your_ father _._

"Divine Dragon, attack his Amber Mammoth!" Kisara commanded.

The dragon charged up a burst of white light and fired, and Jesse only braced himself at the last moment as his mammoth was destroyed.

Kyo frowned. _He activated something._ She noticed.

As the dust settled, Jesse straightened. "Boy. Didn' think I'd ever be facing one 'f those." He said. "Luckily, my Amber Mammoth ain't goin' t' the graveyard."

Kisara blinked. "It's not?" She asked, surprised.

"Nope." He held out his hand, and they all looked down at the shards of amber lying on the ground. "When a Crystal Beast is destroyed, I c'n move it t' my Spell and Trap card zone instead of sending it t' the graveyard."

The remnants coalesced into a large emerald, which floated to the back row next to a face-up trap.

"Plus, the Crystal Release I equipped t' Amber Mammoth lets me move a Crystal Beast from my deck t' my spell an' trap card zone also, so I choose Amethyst Cat." Jesse added. "An' lastly, I activate my Crystal Conclave," Jesse pointed to the trap. "Which, whenever a Crystal Beast is destroyed, lets me summon a new Crystal Beast from my deck. Say hello t' Crystal Beast Ruby Carbuncle!"

The little catlike creature burst out and landed on the field, mewling and flicking its tail.

"An' due to its special effect, whenever it's special summoned t' the field, I c'n summon any number of Crystal Beasts from my Spell and Trap card zone." Jesse said, stretching out his hand. "So Amber Mammoth's back in attack mode, along with my new Amethyst Cat in defense!"

Kisara blinked.

 _Hmm._ Kyo mused. _That gives him more protective monsters. Plus, now he has two monsters he can sacrifice for a more powerful one… though Protector hasn't attacked yet._

"Huh," Kisara said slowly, then recovered and raised her hand. "Then I'll have Protector attack your Ruby Carbuncle!"

"'Fraid not." Jesse said. "Amber Mammoth, defend!"

The Protector ran forward, sword raised to slice through the little carbuncle, but the mammoth interceded and threw him back.

He shattered.

"See, Amber Mammoth c'n change any attack on a Crystal Beast t' him." Jesse explained as Kisara blinked in surprise. "An' since he was in attack mode an' had more attack points, he destroyed yore Protector."

Kisara stared at the field for a moment. "Uh, then I guess it's your turn." She said a little dazedly.

 _Relax, Kisara!_ Kyo frowned. _Don't get flustered. You're still doing fine. Just take a deep breath._

"Awright." Jesse said, drawing. "I summon Crystal Beast Emerald Tortoise in defense mode."

A large green tortoise encrusted with green crystal growths all over the shell appeared and let out a low grunt.

"It's so pretty!" Kisara gasped.

Jesse blushed. "I sure think so. I love stones and crystals. My favorites are geodes. And my whole deck is full of crystals, so I think of it as one giant geode, y'know? With a whole lotta really cool gems inside."

Kisara's entire face lit up. "That's so cool, Jesse! Your deck is amazing!"

"Aw, shucks," He blushed again. "I switch Amber Mammoth to defense mode." He switched the positions of the cards. "An' I switch Amethyst Cat t' attack mode!"

Kyo's eyes narrowed. _Why would he do that? She only has twelve hundred attack points, and Kisara's Blue-Eyes has three thousand…_

"Amethyst Cat's got a special ability as well," Jesse said, "I c'n cut her attack points 'n half temporarily, and she c'n attack you directly. Go, Amethyst Cat!"

The cat bounded forward, running past the white dragon and up to Kisara's stand. She started in surprise and alarm as the hologram pounced on her, and Kyo's heart skipped a beat when she saw her white-haired friend stagger unnervingly close to the edge. But there was a rail around the back of the stand, and Kisara recovered quickly.

 _It_ is _a bit different getting attacked with holograms rather than cards on a desk._ Kyo thought, switching her attention back to the field.

"My Emerald Tortoise's special ability lets me switch Amethyst Cat t' defense mode." Jesse added. "That'll be it f'r now. Your turn."

Kisara came back to the stand. "Okay. I draw." She studied her hand, thinking. "I summon Masked Dragon in attack mode and set one card facedown." She lifted her hand. "Masked–" She stopped and quickly corrected herself. "Blue-Eyes, attack his Amber Mammoth!"

 _I'm glad she remembered Amber Mammoth's special ability and didn't try to attack Amethyst Cat yet. Masked Dragon's too weak to take on Amber Mammoth._ Kyo sighed. _But slipping up like that is an amateur mistake._

"I'm movin' 'im t' the back row." Jesse said. "Then I activate Crystal Conclave t' summon another Amber Mammoth from my deck!"

 _Yeah._ Kyo shook her head. _She should have played Masked Dragon in defense. It's not helpful until she finds a way around Amber Mammoth._ She glanced up at the Divine Dragon. _Of course, this Blue-Eyes isn't an exact replica of Mr. Kaiba's dragons… it has a special ability. One that could have taken out Amethyst Cat without triggering Amber Mammoth's protective ability._

"Oh." Kisara pouted. "Okay. Your turn."

He drew. "I activate Ancient City – Rainbow Ruins!" He announced, and a large ruined colosseum appeared behind him.

"What does that do?" Kisara asked.

"It's kinda hard to explain," Jesse said. "But Kyo probably knows. For every Crystal Beast I have in my Spell and Trap card zone, the city gets extra abilities."

 _Ah, I see._ Kyo's eyes brightened. _I was wondering about that. Certainly, moving his monsters to his spell and trap card zone gives them a certain… longevity on the field, but it also means he can't play as many spell and trap cards, because he's filling up his back row with cards that have no effect. Spells and traps are integral to any duel, and not having them can be crippling._

 _I bet his Ancient City helps make up for that._ She eyed it keenly, then glanced over at Kisara. _I just hope she pays attention to that… and to how many monsters she sends to the back row. I'm betting each of Ancient City's abilities is more powerful than the last with each new Crystal Beast in the back row._

"Nex', I activate Crystal Beacon!" Jesse continued. "This lets me summon Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus from my deck in attack mode. An' Sapphire Pegasus lets me put another Crystal Beast from my deck in my back row, an' I choose my Topaz Tiger!"

The pegasus burst onto the scene, studded with sapphires. It looked back, aiming its blue horn at the back row, and a beam of light shot out to form a large topaz, floating next to the amber of the mammoth.

"An' after that, I activate Rare Value!" Jesse held up the card. "I pick two o' my crystals, an' you send one of them t' the graveyard, lettin' me draw two more cards." He gestured. "So d' you send Topaz Tiger or Amber Mammoth?"

"Amber Mammoth," Kisara said impulsively.

Kyo frowned. _Easy, Kisara. Calm down and think. You need to be more careful. You know what Amber Mammoth's ability is, and you can get around it. You don't know Topaz Tiger's._

"Awright." Jesse moved the card off to the graveyard. "Then I switch Amethyst Cat t' attack mode." He raised his hand. "Sapphire Pegasus, attack her Masked Dragon!"

The pegasus bounded forward, striking the dragon with its hooves before galloping back to Jesse's side of the field.

"When Masked Dragon is destroyed, I can summon a dragon with fourteen hundred attack points or less from my deck." Kisara said. "I choose another Masked Dragon, this time in defense mode!"

 _Not sure the bait's good enough._ Kyo thought. _Sure, Amethyst Cat could take out Masked Dragon in defense mode, but Amethyst Cat could attack directly._

"Go, Amethyst Cat! Attack her life points directly!" Jesse ordered.

Kisara braced herself.

 _Damn. Down to fifteen hundred life points._ Kyo frowned. _Jesse's a great duelist._

"Then I activate Emerald Tortoise's special ability t' switch Amethyst Cat back t' defense mode!" Jesse said. "Your move, Kisara."

 _Kisara is too, when she stops and pays attention to her cards._ She added, glancing up. She had never lost against Kisara, but half the time Kisara had the cards in her hand to win and just hadn't played them. _Come on, Kisara. Think through_ all _your options._

"I activate Burst Stream of Destruction!" Kisara announced. "This lets me destroy all of my opponent's monsters if I have a Blue-Eyes, but my Blue-Eyes can't attack this turn. Go, Blue-Eyes!"

The dragon roared and sent a stream of energy across the field, striking each Crystal Beast in succession.

"I'll move Amber Mammoth, Amethyst Cat, an' Emerald Tortoise t' the back row." Jesse said.

 _He's filled it._ Kyo thought, stiffening and glancing up at the Ancient City. _He has four Crystal Beasts back there. He can't activate anything else, but he might have all he needs already._

"Then I activate Crystal Conclave!" Jesse added. "I summon a Crystal Beast from my deck – Crystal Beast Ruby Carbuncle, in defense mode!"

The little carbuncle popped onto the scene and mewled, curling up protectively.

"An' when Ruby Carbuncle's special summoned, I c'n summon as many Crystal Beasts from my back row as I like, so come on out in defense mode!" He spread his arms, and the four Crystal Beasts burst back onto the stage.

Kisara's expression became exasperated, and Kyo smiled ruefully.

 _She basically wasted that card. His monsters are too good at coming back._

"Well, Blue-Eyes Divine Dragon has a special ability that I can only use if it doesn't attack." Kisara said. "I can destroy one monster on the field. And I choose your Amethyst Cat!"

 _There you go. Now you're thinking._ Kyo thought. _A few steps behind, but you're getting there._ She shifted her attention back to Jesse's side of the field as the Blue-Eyes took out the Amethyst Cat. _Each one of his monsters is a different gemstone. Not only that, but each gemstone is a different color of the rainbow._

She mused. _I wonder… I don't think we've seen everything his deck can do._

 _C'mon, Kisara._

"I switch Topaz Tiger t' attack mode!" Jesse announced. "Topaz Tiger, attack her Masked Dragon!"

 _His attack points went up!_ Kyo thought, her eyes widening slightly. _Two thousand. For a four-star monster._ She mused. _I bet it's only when he attacks. If you attack, then it won't rise. But still, that can be tricky to handle. Especially if he got another Crystal Release. It's still no match for Divine Dragon, but almost all the damage he's inflicted to Kisara has been while her dragon was on the field, so it hasn't worked to protect her very well._

"I'll activate its special ability again to summon another Masked Dragon." Kisara said. "Again in defense mode."

Kyo glanced at her, then back to Jesse.

"An' I activate Emerald Tortoise's special ability t' switch Topaz Tiger back t' defense mode." Jesse added. "An' I'll finish wi' these two cards facedown."

 _Hm. He's limiting his Crystal Beasts' ability to fall back with those cards._ i Kyo thought. _I wonder if they've served their purpose…_

"I switch Masked Dragon to attack mode." Kisara said. "Then I activate Tyrant Wing and equip it to my Divine Dragon!"

 _That's what that card was?!_ Kyo grumbled in exasperation. _Why'd you wait so long to play it, Kisara?_

 _It raises a dragon's attack power by four hundred and gives them two attacks in a turn. She'd be up in life points and down in Crystal Beasts to deal with if she'd used it sooner…_ She sighed.

"Blue-Eyes, attack his Amber Mammoth!" Kisara shouted.

The dragon reared back, its wings glowing with the boost from Tyrant Wing, and fired a bolt at the mammoth, which shattered.

"I activate Crystal Pair." Jesse said as he flipped one of his facedown cards over. "When a Crystal Beast is destroyed an' sent t' the graveyard, I c'n set a Crystal Beast from my deck in my back row."

 _Why didn't he use Crystal Conclave…?_ Kyo frowned. _That's seven monsters now. Seven Crystal Beasts, each with a different colored gemstone._

 _Each a different color of the rainbow…_

"Blue-Eyes, attack his Emerald Tortoise!" Kisara continued.

"Kisara!" Kyo sputtered in consternation, but it was too late.

The dragon attacked, and Kisara looked down in confusion. "What?" She asked, suddenly worried.

Kyo opened her mouth, but paused, glancing back at the cobalt floating in the back row. _Seven Crystal Beasts. Seven colors of the rainbow._

She looked up at Jesse, whose expression was hard as flint – he had the look of someone about to play a finishing move.

 _She_ should _have attacked Topaz Tiger. It's a bigger threat than Emerald Tortoise, even if the tortoise's special ability means she'll have trouble getting to Jesse's life points. But if I'm right… it might not matter._

"Nothing." She said, shaking her head. "But be careful, Kisara. I don't think we've seen everything in his deck yet."

She blinked, then nodded. "Okay." She turned back. "Masked Dragon, attack his Ruby Carbuncle!"

"I activate Rainbow Path!" Jesse shouted, flipping over the other card. "I send Cobalt Eagle from my back row t' my graveyard, an' that negates yore attack."

The cobalt gemstone shot forward to stand between Ruby Carbuncle and Masked Dragon's flame breath, blocking it.

"Then, I c'n move Rainbow Dragon from my deck t' my hand." Jesse finished as he shuffled his deck; he'd already grabbed Rainbow Dragon.

 _I bet that's it._ Kyo thought with grim intuition. _His pinnacle monster. And I bet the Crystal Beasts have made it easy to summon._ She scanned the field. _Each one of them has unique abilities, but some are more effective than others in a given situation. He didn't favor any of them, though, except perhaps Amber Mammoth or Ruby Carbuncle. He focused more on getting them all on the field._

"I set one card facedown." Kisara continued. "And when I end my turn, Tyrant Wing gets sent to the graveyard."

 _Kisara!_ Kyo grumbled. _You should be preparing better! I can't believe all those cards in your hand aren't cards you can use._ She looked back at Jesse. _And if I'm right, this duel's about to take a sharp turn._


	12. Master of the Rainbow

_Some of the Crystal Beasts are in his graveyard._ Kyo noted. _He doesn't have all of them on the field, but with seven different monsters, you can't really. Still, he's played all of them. If they had to be on the field, he'd have done a better job of ensuring they were in the spell and trap card zone._

 _No, I'm pretty sure that as long as they're on the field or in his graveyard, the Rainbow Dragon still gets whatever benefit it gets from them._ Her eyes narrowed. _And if it's the kind of thing where this is the only way you can summon it…_

She bit her lip. _Kisara…_

Jesse drew. He studied the card for a moment, then went to his hand. "Since I 'ave seven dif'rent Crystal Beasts on th' field or in my graveyard, that means I c'n summon Rainbow Dragon straight t' the field. Come on out, Rainbow Dragon!"

 _I was right. This is how you summon it._ Her eyes narrowed. _Which means it has to make up for such a difficult summon with power…_

He raised his hand over his head, and each of the Crystal Beasts launched a beam of colored energy to meet at a point directly above his palm. There, the energy swirled for a moment, then shot up into the sky, snaking around to take the form of a winged serpent with silvery, iridescent scales.

 _Four thousand attack points?_ Kyo stiffened. _That'll wipe her out!_

"Rainbow Dragon, attack her Masked Dragon!" Jesse shouted.

"I activate Negate Attack!" Kisara said quickly, flipping the card over. "This not only negates your attack, it ends the battle phase."

Kyo let out a breath. _That was close._ She grimaced.

"Nex', I'll activate Crystal Conclave!" He continued, unruffled.

Kisara frowned. "I haven't destroyed any of your Crystal Beasts, though."

"Yeah, but it 'as a second effect. I c'n send it to the graveyard t' send one Crystal Beast an' one of your monsters back t' their owners' hands." He explained. "I'll take Ruby Carbuncle back, an' I'll send your Blue-Eyes back t' your hand."

 _Damn. She'll have to summon it again, and it's level eight. It'd need two tributes, and she's only got one monster on the field._

Kisara picked up the Blue-Eyes, looking nervous.

Kyo smiled wryly. _She might actually have to use Kaibaman._

"I'll wrap up with one card facedown." Jesse finished.

Kyo's eyes narrowed. _Rainbow Dragon is extremely powerful. There are only a handful of monsters more powerful than that. And its ability to be summoned instantly (provided you have all the Crystal Beasts out) means it can come suddenly and without cost._ She shifted. _It'd be extremely difficult to fight head-on. But Blue-Eyes Divine Dragon can still take it out with its special ability. So could Endymion and Black Luster Soldier, for that matter._

She hesitated. _But something that powerful, with this much setup involved… it can't be that easy. And if he has more than one…_

"I summon Maiden with Eyes of Blue in attack mode!" Kisara announced. "And I switch Masked Dragon to defense and end my turn."

Kyo mused. _Sure, the Maiden had zero attack points and zero defense points. But her ability, which could negate an attack aimed at her, also switched her battle position. If she was in defense, she'd switch to attack, and vice versa. She could only use her negating ability once per turn, but that might just be enough to summon Blue-Eyes._

 _Still, much as it would have been embarrassing, you could've summoned Blue-Eyes now with Kaibaman…_ Kyo thought. _And taken out Rainbow Dragon._

"Topaz Tiger! Attack her Maiden!" Jesse commanded.

"I activate Maiden's special ability!" Kisara returned. "She negates your attack and switches to defense mode. And when she does, I get to special summon Blue-Eyes Divine Dragon!"

 _Good, it's back on the– defense mode, Kisara!_ Kyo clapped a hand to her face. _Rainbow Dragon's too strong!_

"Rainbow Dragon, attack her Blue-Eyes Divine Dragon!" Jesse continued.

The dragon roared and charged up, the gems on its body lighting one by one until a prismatic beam of energy emitted from its mouth.

Kisara stiffened and braced herself against the blast, her head bowed.

"Las'ly, I set this monster in defense mode." Jesse finished. "Sorry 'bout yore Blue-Eyes, Kisara," He added apologetically. "Yore turn."

Kyo switched her gaze to her friend. Kisara looked a bit rattled and uneasy. She was down to five hundred life points, and Jesse still had thirty-five hundred. _This could very well be her last play._ Kyo sighed. _Kisara…_

She drew. She brightened a little, glancing at the field, then squared her shoulders. "I set one card facedown and switch Maiden with Eyes of Blue to attack mode. That ends my turn." She said.

Kyo tilted her head. _What did you draw?_ She wondered, eyeing the facedown card. _Could it turn things around?_

"My move." Jesse drew. "I summon Ruby Carbuncle in attack mode!"

 _Attack mode?_ Kyo started. Her eyes switched to his facedown monster. _I wonder if that's Emerald Tortoise, just in case he doesn't win this turn. He seems pretty confident he will, though…_

"Ruby Carbuncle, attack her Maiden!" Jesse ordered, and the carbuncle bounded forward.

"I activate her special ability." Kisara said, switching her to defense mode. "Come forth, Blue-Eyes Divine Dragon!"

Kyo grumbled. _Attack mode again, Kisara? What are you thinking?_

"Then I activate Burst Breath." Kisara continued, flipping over her facedown card.

Kyo's eyes widened. _Oh._ She looked back at Rainbow Dragon. _It has zero defense points._ She noted. _Very good, Kisara. By tributing Divine Dragon, you can destroy all monsters on the field with a defense less than its attack. It might roast your Maiden, but his Rainbow Dragon will be gone._

 _Still think you should've used Kaibaman, but I totally get why you didn't._

The fires engulfed the field, and all of the monsters on it shattered one by one. Jesse watched his Rainbow Dragon go with a sigh.

"Well," He said quietly. "I move Ruby Carbuncle t' my back row." He shifted the card. He smiled ruefully. "You played a good game, Kisara. An' that las' move might've ben the end 'f it."

She blinked, and Kyo stiffened.

"But I activate Rainbow Gravity." He said, flipping over his facedown. "S'long as I've got seven Crystal Beasts with different names on the field or in my graveyard, I c'n summon Rainbow Dragon from my graveyard. An' since it's a trap, it's still the battle phase, an' you've got no monsters left."

Kisara stiffened as the Rainbow Dragon burst up out of the ground, swirling around to face her.

"Rainbow Dragon," Jesse hesitated, then threw his arm forward. "Attack her directly with rainbow refraction!"

As it cleared, the monsters faded, and Jesse grinned shyly. "Shucks, that was an awesome duel, Kisara."

Kisara blinked, a bit startled, but she recovered and smiled. "Yeah. You were amazing, Jesse. Thanks."

Kyo relaxed. _Well, at least they hadn't been dueling with an ante._ She thought, walking over to Kisara's side as the duel ended. "Good job, Kis." She said. "What cards did you have left?"

"Oh," Kisara picked them off the top of her deck, as she'd already begun clearing them away.

Kyo stared at them, then sighed. "Kisara…"

She stopped. "What?"

Kyo just shook her head and held them out. "I would've used Return of the Dragon Lords instead of Burst Breath." She said. "That would've put it in the graveyard to protect your dragon. How long did you have Dragon's Fighting Spirit in your hand?"

Kisara started and looked at the cards again. "Oh…" She realized, and sighed.

"What's up?" Jesse asked.

Kyo turned. "Nothing." She said. "You dueled very well, Jesse." She smiled. "I've never actually seen Crystal Beasts in action before, and you handle that deck extremely well."

Jesse grinned. "Thanks. Well, like I said, these cards've always been there when I need 'em." He looked down at the Ruby Carbuncle, which was on top. "It's weird, but I feel like we've got this special bond, y'know? Like no matter what, they've got my back."

Kyo blinked. _Hm. Maybe it wouldn't have been enough…_ She mused, looking down and pulling Dark Magician out of her pocket. _Maybe his deck would have found a way regardless._

She looked back at Kisara. "Well, all this dueling's given me an appetite. Why don't we go grab something to eat?" She glanced over at Jesse in invitation.

"Sounds good to me!" He grinned. "I'll treat."

"You don't have to," Kisara said quickly, blushing. "You won."

"Nonsense." He said confidently. "It's the least I can do after beating yore Blue-Eyes." He held out his hand. "I really appreciate you lettin' me 'ave the chance t' duel you, Kisara."

She looked flustered, but took his hand. "Same to you." She mumbled.

 _So the infatuation's still there._ Kyo thought, eyeing the two of them. _And Kisara looks like she might be interested._

 _Guess that's okay. Jesse's a good guy, at least so far as we know._ "All right." Kyo gestured. "We'll figure out what we want on the way back."


	13. Evil Revealed

Author's Note: Apologies for the late update! Hope I didn't scare anyone. :)

* * *

"I got 'em when I was little, for my birthday." Jesse was saying as the tram zoomed through the park. "I'd been learning how t' duel, but wasn' all that good 'til I played with them. An' ever since, I've been playing with this deck. I wouldn' trade out a single card, not even for an Egyptian God card."

Kisara beamed. "You're so loyal."

He blushed. "Aw, shucks. These cards're like family to me." He shrugged.

At that moment, though, there was an eruption. All three of them whipped around in their seats to see Obelisk the Tormentor rise up out of the park.

"Holy crow, what–" Jesse yelped. "That thing's _massive_! Is that… _Obelisk_?"

"Obelisk the Tormentor, yeah." Kyo nodded quietly. _I wonder how many duelists he had to go through to find someone who lasted long enough for him to summon it._

The clouds darkened, and Kyo could sense its presence, even at this distance. What was worse, she could sense the presence of her Egyptian God card towering over her. The rumbling storm wasn't just Obelisk's doing.

 _Dark Magician!_ She called nervously, looking up as the transparent image of him appeared beside her. _What's going on?_

He gazed out at Obelisk for a moment, then back to her. _"They are awakening. They too were locked away, and now that Obelisk has been summoned, the others will…"_ He trailed off, turning and scanning the train.

Kyo didn't like the sound of that. If the Egyptian Gods were 'waking up', did that mean the one she was holding would–

 _"There is evil on this train."_

She stopped and looked up again. _Evil? What do you mean?_

He gripped his staff defensively. _"I am sensing the presence of evil magic. It would be wise if we disembarked as soon as possible."_

She felt a chill. _Dad said in his letter that he was fighting some kind of threat to the world. One that could track Egyptian Gods. She touched her jacket. If they're tracking them now, does that mean…_

 _They're following me?_

She looked over at Kisara and Jesse. They were still gaping at Obelisk. If this was the evil that had taken out her father, then it would probably come after her. Yugi had told her to get back to Seto as soon as possible if there was danger, but he was on the other side of the park, and it wasn't exactly small.

If they all stayed on the train, the evil would find them. If she left the train and it didn't, it might still find Kisara and Jesse. If they left the train and she didn't, it would find her. If they all left the train… they might be safe. Or it might follow them, and they'd still be in danger.

She looked up at the map and checked the next stop.

"Oh!" Kisara gasped, and she looked back in time to catch Obelisk's fist as it plowed down on a very unlucky duelist.

A few seconds later, it vanished.

"Hot damn." Jesse swore softly. "Glad I ain't whatever poor soul jus' fought that." He frowned. "I thought th' Egyptian God cards were lost."

"Apparently not." Kyo muttered.

Kisara gave her a sideways look.

"Well, whoever they are," Jesse said, turning back. "They'd better be ready."

They both looked over at him.

"What do you mean?" Kisara asked, startled.

Jesse gave her a wry grin. "Those cards are the rarest cards on the planet. They're about t' get hit with every major duelist here, all want'n t' win it. An' they're worth a fortune; whoever's got it better be on the lookout for the less-savory competition as well as the honorable ones."

Kisara paled a little.

"I'm sure whoever has it understands the risks." Kyo said dryly.

"I sure hope so." Jesse said. "Or they won't 'ave it much longer."

Kyo tried not to picture it. She wasn't at all concerned whether Seto could handle the pressure. But if anyone found out _she_ had an Egyptian God stashed away…

The train started to slow.

"There's a burger joint at this stop." Kyo suggested.

Kisara looked hesitant, but Jesse nodded. "Sounds good t' me." He said. "Better than gettin' in the middle of all that." He glanced at the window again, then got to his feet.

Kyo could tell that Kisara wanted to go to Seto. And honestly, if he hadn't just played an Egyptian God card, that would have been where Kyo wanted to go as well. But Jesse had a point about people hunting those cards, and the Dark Magician had sensed an evil presence. If this had anything to do with the evil her father had been fighting, the best thing would be to keep their heads down.

"Come on." Kyo led the way to the doors, and reluctantly, Kisara followed.

* * *

The only chatter they heard was about the Egyptian God card. Over and over, they heard what Jesse had said – that whoever had that card was probably neck-deep in trouble now.

Kisara didn't even touch her food.

Kyo leaned over to reassure her, but at that moment, she sensed the Dark Magician again.

 _"Master, the evil is headed for us."_ He warned, standing up beside their table.

She looked up. _No!_ She groaned and got to her feet.

"Kyo?" Kisara asked, looking up. "Where are you going?"

She hesitated. _Can you stay with Kisara and protect her?_

He started. _"Master, I cannot let you face this evil alone."_ He said.

 _But if it comes after Kisara, she'll need protecting._ Kyo told him as she pulled out her deck. _I just want to draw the evil away from her. I'll go to Mr. Kaiba._

 _"Regardless, I cannot."_ He said, and she looked up. _"You summoned me. I am here only by borrowing the power of your spirit."_ He admitted. _"Even if you left my card with her, I would be powerless."_

She stopped. _Dang. Then what do I do?_ She looked back at Kisara and Jesse, who were both watching her with puzzled looks on their faces.

She gave them an awkward smile. "Um, I need to use the bathroom." She lied. "Might be a minute."

She hurried away, glad that the bathroom was right next to one of the exits. Much as she wanted to know for certain that Kisara was safe, at the moment, Kisara was safer if she wasn't around. Jesse was a good guy, and Kisara was in _Kaiba_ land, never more than thirty feet from one of Seto's employees.

She slipped outside, careful to make her way away from the restaurant without passing a window. _Where is it coming from, Dark Magician?_ She asked.

He, knowing what she meant, said, _"We should go this way, Master. It will cut across their path, and should draw them away from your friend."_

She nodded and hurried in the direction he'd indicated – between two buildings and across to the other side of the isle. He pointed as they emerged, and she followed him through a garden with a fountain in the center, and around a statue of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

She looked back, but she couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. _Is it following us?_ She asked.

 _"Yes."_ He nodded.

She bit her lip. She wished she could sense it – she could sense him, after all, and the Egyptian Gods. She'd feel a lot better if she knew exactly where it was.

 _"This way, Master."_ Dark Magician said gently, and she turned.

He led her into a dueling arena and across the floor.

"Now I play Polymerization, fusing my Gazelle and Berfomet from my hand!" Someone was shouting.

Kyo took a quick glance at the battle and saw Chimera, the Flying Mythical Beast, burst onto the stage to face a pair of dinosaurs.

She hurried to the door and slipped out.

 _"Over here,"_ Dark Magician gestured, and they took a jog sideways.

 _Where is it?_ She asked.

 _"On the other side of– You!"_ He snarled suddenly, taking up a defensive stance and whipping up his staff.

Kyo jumped and looked around him to see another transparent entity floating there. It looked like a woman in hunter-gatherer garments, with large white-feathered wings that seemed to glow with a heavenly light.

She smiled at Dark Magician, but said nothing – she just spread her arms in a blocking gesture.

 _What– who is that?_ Kyo asked. _Is that a Duel Monster like you?_

 _"Guardian Eatos."_ Dark Magician said grimly. _"If she is here, then her master once again serves the evil I am sensing."_

 _Wait, what? Who? What is this evil?_

Guardian Eatos held up her hands peaceably.

 _"The Orichalcos."_ He took a step back. _"We need to go, now. Your very soul is at risk."_

Kyo hesitated. Eatos didn't seem to be threatening them, just blocking their way. But Dark Magician probably knew something she didn't. She turned, but stopped as the door to the dueling ring opened behind her.

"Ah, there you are!" The man said as he stepped out. "Good work, Eatos."

It was the same man from the bank, the one who had called out to her and tried to talk.

He stopped. "Dark Magician? But how–?" He frowned. "Miss Moto, did you summon Dark Magician?"

Kyo glared back. The green stone was still there, and it was still giving her the creeps. Was that the evil Dark Magician was sensing? Was that the Orichalcos? "Who are you, and what do you want with me?" She demanded, ready to flee if he made any sudden movements. She wasn't exactly up to fighting him head-on, but there were crowded places everywhere around them. All she had to do was call for help.

"Hey, easy, kid. I just want to talk." He held up his hands in a peaceful gesture, mirroring Eatos. "My name's Rafael." He knelt down on one knee. "You're in danger, and I want to help. Will you hear me out?"

She stiffened.

He waited patiently.

 _Dark Magician?_ She asked. _They haven't tried to attack us yet. Should I…_

His eyes narrowed. _"He serves the Orichalcos. Do not trust him."_

She looked back at Rafael. "Why should I trust you?" She returned. _What is the Orichalcos?_ She added mentally.

 _"A power capable of corrupting and stealing souls."_

Rafael glanced past her. "Eatos, would you give us a minute?" He asked politely.

Kyo started and looked back to see Eatos vanish from sight.

"There. You can walk away if you want." Rafael said, and she looked back at him. "Please, give me a chance to explain. Your father can't protect you anymore. There is a terrible threat coming to destroy the world, and the Egyptian Gods are waking up again. You have one in your jacket, and if you don't listen to me, it will destroy you even before the Phantom does."

Kyo stiffened. "What do you mean?"

"I mean the Phantom –the power that defeated your father– will be coming after you next. But aside from that, you've got no way to control the Egyptian God card you're holding, and pretty soon, it's going to control you. Either you seal it away properly, or you give it to someone who can."

 _"The Orichalcos is the means by which the Great Leviathan feeds on souls and amasses power. That beast nearly destroyed the world, but was stopped by the Pharaoh."_ The magician said darkly. _"This man once served that power before renouncing it. Yet here he stands, again cast in its shadow. Do not trust him."_

Kyo took a step back. "You still serve the Orichalcos." She said. "I don't trust you."

He blinked. "How do you… oh, right. Dark Magician." He turned. "What's up with that, anyway? I thought you only served the Pharaoh."

He didn't reply.

Rafael started in surprise. "Don't tell me–" He looked back and stared at Kyo. " _Pharaoh_?"

She gave him a cautious look.

"No," Rafael frowned again. "You're similar, but not the same." He gave the Dark Magician a puzzled look. "Do you really miss him that much?"

His grip tightened on his staff.

"Look, I'm just trying to help." Rafael said. "You oughta be able to sense it too. If you really care about this kid, let me help her. That Egyptian God will consume her."

Kyo hesitated. She looked up at Dark Magician, who was still holding a protective stance between them.

 _Maybe we should hear him out._

She caught his eye flicking back to her.

 _He hasn't attacked me. All he's done is asked if I'll give him a chance to speak._ Kyo pointed out. _If he wanted my soul, wouldn't he have attacked by now?_

There was a pause, and she suddenly wondered if he was just as uncertain as she was. She knew the feeling – when she'd be trying to protect Kisara, only to wonder if she was doing the right thing.

 _"Do not send me from your side."_ He implored as he stepped back.

 _I won't._ She promised. That was easy – she didn't want him to go anywhere.

Rafael watched the exchange and relaxed a little. "Thank you." He said, getting to his feet a little stiffly. She had a feeling the stone path had been uncomfortable.

"So why do you still serve the Orichalcos?" She asked. "He said it feeds on souls." She eyed the crystal. "And it feels pretty… off."

"You can sense it, huh?" Rafael cupped the stone and looked at it for a moment. "I have to admit, you're much further along than I would've guessed. Before I explain what's going on, can I ask when you first started seeing spirits?"

She blinked.

"Like Dark Magician." He added.

She hesitated, glancing up at him, then back. "A few hours ago." She admitted. "Right after we met at the bank."

He looked concerned.

"What does that have to do with what's going on?" She asked. "What _is_ going on, anyway?"

"Six years ago," He said, "My master, Lord Dartz, learned of an entity that was coming to Earth, drawn by the number of souls on our world." He looked up at the sky. "We call it the Phantom." He looked back at her. "Yugi promised to help us fight it and protect mankind, along with several other powerful duelists."

"But it didn't work." She said. "Did it? My dad's gone."

"Yeah." Rafael said heavily, dropping his gaze. "Its powers warped our magic. That caught us by surprise, and we weren't able to defeat it. Actually," He glanced up at her. "Your father sacrificed himself to split the Phantom into three fragments. That weakened it and scattered it across the planet, but it won't stay that way. We're trying to find those fragments and destroy them."

Kyo frowned. "Then why are you after me?" She paused. "Dad said that they could track the Egyptian God cards."

"When did he say that?" Rafael asked.

"In… in a letter." Kyo said.

"Ah." His expression cleared. "Well, yes. That's more of a guess." He said. "Master Dartz was getting visions – visions of the Egyptian Gods, warped and twisted into evil monstrosities. Given that, we decided it was best not to use them when fighting the Phantom." He explained. "It looked like it might be able to turn them against us, and that's _definitely_ not what we need."

Kyo nodded. That made sense; they were dangerous enough as it was. "But the Phantom is going after the Egyptian Gods?"

"We don't know that for sure." Rafael admitted. "But Master Dartz is still seeing visions of their mutated forms, and now that the Phantom is loose in the world in three fragments, we're guessing that's where it's headed next. With the power of the Egyptian Gods, it could reconstitute itself."

Kyo shivered. The Phantom sounded bad enough; if it got a hold of them…

"Yugi sealed the Gods away, but now that he's gone, the seal's been broken." Rafael continued. "Kaiba's found one of them, and you have another. I'm gonna guess your father gave them to you in that gold box?"

She nodded.

"Where's the third one?"

 _"Master,"_ Dark Magician interjected when she opened her mouth. _"It would be safer not to say."_

"…it's, uh," She stammered, thrown off track. "It's hidden." She said, cursing herself. She had to be more careful!

Rafael shook his head. "Kid, you can't hide an Egyptian God card. We need to get them someplace where the Phantom can't get to them, at least not without going through one of us." He stepped forward. "Kaiba can hold his own for the moment, but Slifer and Ra need to–"

He stopped as Dark Magician stepped between them, blocking his path.

"I'm not gonna hurt her." Rafael said with a bite of impatience. "But we need to get the Egyptian God cards someplace safe before the Phantom gets to them."

Kyo felt a rumble of outrage in the back of her mind. The clouds above started to thicken, and she felt slightly dizzy.

 _"Master, send it back!"_ Dark Magician said suddenly, startled.

"What are you doing, kid?" Rafael growled sharply. "Don't summon it!"

"I'm not!" She protested, then clutched her head in her hand. _Please, wait! Not here!_

There was a furious, almighty roar, and she fell to her knees.

 _"Master Kyo!"_


	14. King of Atlantis

_She was hovering in a dark void. Green light had erupted all around her, but she felt no strength to move. All she could feel was a blank sort of despair – this was what she deserved, after all she had done._

 _"_ _Pharaoh! I won't let this happen to you!"_

 _That sounded like…_

 _She felt hands shoving her forward and looked back. "Yugi? No!" Her voice was much deeper and more masculine, but it was still hers… somehow. She spun. "What are you doing here?"_

 _Yugi had a sad smile on his face. "It only needs one of us, so I'm letting the Seal take me instead."_

 _He faded from view._

 _"_ _No! YUGI!"_

She had never felt so devastated. It felt as if her heart had been torn out, leaving nothing but an empty shell.

She felt so _hollow_.

Her eyes slid open. A large stone temple greeted her gaze, the walls covered with small squares. A few of them had images of people inside them.

 _"_ _Master?"_

A tear slid down her cheek. _Not again… I…_ She trembled.

"It is all right. You're safe."

 _That voice…_ She turned her head. She was lying on an altar, and Rafael was standing nearby. But there was another man, one getting to his feet. He was clad in white robes and had long white hair and mismatched eyes. Hanging from his neck was a turquoise stone, like the one that hung from Rafael's, only this one was large and smooth and bore a six-pointed star.

"Please," She croaked weakly. "Not again."

"'Again'?" He queried with a raised eyebrow. "Pray, tell me what I did the first time."

She stared at him.

"What's she talking about, Master?" Rafael asked, glancing up.

He didn't answer – he just kept his mismatched eyes on Kyo.

Her mind finally started to process the scene, and she blinked. _What…_ The dream faded, and reason took over. The last thing she remembered was…

 _Dark Magician?_ She sat up, and he burst into view beside her.

 _"_ _I am here."_ He said, raising his staff and standing beside her protectively.

"Damn." Rafael muttered. "She's wiped out, and she just summons him like it was nothing." He looked over at Dartz. "I thought the Dark Magician only served the Pharaoh."

"She _is_ the Pharaoh." Dartz said quietly. "Or rather, his reincarnation."

"What do you mean?"

"Kyo," Dartz said gently, not answering. "Summoning a monster is not a good idea at the moment. You are safe here, and you need to take it easy. You can't if you support him."

The magician's eyes narrowed, and he stepped a little closer to Kyo, a little more between them.

Dartz looked up at him. "I swear to you, I have every intention of keeping your mistress safe." He promised.

 _"_ _That I highly doubt."_ He didn't move.

Kyo braced herself, but she was starting to pant with the effort. The room was starting to tilt, and she shook her head, trying to clear it.

"Kyo, please," Dartz said a little more urgently, "Release him."

She swallowed. _Dark Magician…_ She didn't want to let go. She had no idea where she was, and the evil was all around her.

She swayed, and the magician tensed, flickering a little.

 _No!_

 _"_ _Master–"_ His voice was filled with worry. He looked back at the other two, then spun his staff, gearing up to cast a spell.

"Damn." Dartz cursed. He snapped his hand up. "I can't let you do that."

Kyo gasped in shock. A green seal erupted around the Dark Magician, and he was halted in his tracks. She lost her connection to him, and he blazed suddenly with power, trying to break free.

"No! Dark Magician!" She reached out, but the seal brightened, becoming a beam of white-green light that flew up and spiraled around to strike one of the empty squares on the wall.

And then he was gone.

"What did you do?!" She shouted. "Give him back!"

"I will, but first you need to listen." Dartz said, turning back to her.

She glared at him for a moment, then looked around. The temple was vast, with braziers lit all along the chamber. She had no idea where she was; this looked ancient, and she was certain there wasn't anything like this anywhere near Kaibaland, school, or Seto's mansion. Which meant she had no idea where she was or how to get back. And _that_ meant she was their prisoner.

Something caught her eye. The square was no longer empty; there was an image carved in it, one that looked suspiciously like the Dark Magician. Somehow, Dartz had transferred the magician to the square… and again, she had no idea how to free him, which meant she needed them to do it for her.

And she was pretty sure they wouldn't do it if she tried to demand it of them. She was in no position to do anything except comply and hope for the best, really.

 _So what do I have in play?_ She wondered, looking back at them. _I was able to summon Dark Magician. Could I summon another monster?_

She doubted it. She had sensed his spirit in the card; she didn't even really know _how_ she had summoned him. The only other card she could sense was the Egyptian God card, and she knew for a fact that that one would only do more harm than good at the moment.

 _But Dad said I could use it as a last resort._ She thought. _So, I have it in my hand. As long as I play my cards right, I might not have to rely on it. Especially since summoning it might kill me. But I can still use it if necessary._

 _So, for now…_

She shifted. "Okay, I'm listening." She said quietly.

He relaxed and gave her a smile. "Excellent. We have not been properly introduced." He bowed. "I am Dartz, Lord of Atlantis."

"Atlantis?" Kyo frowned. "Like the sunken city Atlantis?"

"Yes, in fact." He said, amused.

"How?" She asked, surprised.

"That would be quite a long tale," He shook his head. "And we have more pressing matters." He glanced around. "Rafael told me he explained the basics of what happened to your father."

She nodded.

Dartz's expression clouded a little. "I am sorry for what happened. We were not prepared for the Phantom's chaos." He looked up. "And now, the Egyptian Gods have joined the fray. However, I fear that they will only be corrupted by the Phantom's power."

"Rafael said you were having visions about them." Kyo recalled.

"Yes," Dartz inclined his head. "Visions that have not abated, which means the threat of these mutated versions still looms over us all." He folded his arms. "Seto Kaiba can handle the card he currently possesses. I would inform him of the danger, but he is not a particularly… open-minded individual." He said with delicacy.

Kyo gave him a wry look. _No kidding._

"However, you cannot wield the card you hold, and the Egyptian God you possess nearly devoured you." He held out his hand. "I know this is much to ask, given how little you know of me, but I ask you to trust me and allow me to seal it away."

Kyo stiffened.

"My dear Kyo, if I were an enemy, I would have simply taken the cards. I've done it before." Dartz said quietly. "But I want you to trust me. We're on the same side."

"Tell me about the Orichalcos." Kyo countered. "What makes it so evil, and if it's so evil, why are you using it? What happened last time, and why…" She trailed off. She had been planning to ask another question, but it was based off a dream. Her gaze drifted away to the wall, to one of the empty slots. _Why does this place feel so familiar… and so terrifying?_

"We don't really have that kind of time…" Dartz started, and she switched back to glaring at him.

"Come on, Kyo. We're the good guys." Rafael said. "Just ask Eatos."

The guardian appeared beside him, and Kyo had to admit it looked rather pure to have agreed to ally with something evil.

"Give me back my Dark Magician." She returned, looking back at Dartz. "Free him first."

He hesitated. "On the condition you do not summon him." He said. "You are weak enough as it is. If he had not cut your consciousness, the Egyptian God would have devoured you and escaped."

"'Escaped'?" She asked, distracted.

"Used your body as a vessel. It _is_ currently residing within a card, if you hadn't noticed." Dartz said dryly. "Not a lot of… mobility in a card."

Her eyes narrowed. "Not a lot of mobility in a stone carving, either. Give Dark Magician back."

Dartz heaved a sigh and turned, lifting his hand.

The carving in the box faded, and she felt the Dark Magician connect with her again.

 _Dark Magician!_ She gasped in relief.

 _"_ _Master,"_ He responded instantly, reappearing beside her. _"Are you all right?"_

"She's fine," Dartz replied flatly. "She promised not to summon you."

The magician blinked, then threw Dartz a faint smirk as he stepped up to protect her.

 _He did say–_ She stopped. "Wait, you can hear him?"

"Of course, child." Dartz said lightly. "Seeing spirits is but the first step. You can hear the Dark Magician because you are so closely bonded to him, but learning to hear all spirits is another step." He folded his arms. "Though it seems you have grown reckless in your youth."

She _did_ feel a bit dizzy again. _Dark Magician…_ She said silently, and he looked back at her.

 _"_ _Master?"_ He looked worried.

 _I'll… I… I think I'm… okay, for the moment._ She said at last.

He hesitated, but nodded. _"As you wish, Master. I will always be here, should you need me."_

 _Thank you._ She let go, and he vanished. She let out a breath and rubbed her head, feeling as if she hadn't slept in days.

"The Egyptian God," Dartz pressed, stepping forward and holding out his hand again.

She looked up at him, then turned her attention to the back of her mind and out to the shadow looming over her. _Almighty one,_ She bowed her head and closed her eyes. _What shall I do? Should I hand you over to him and let him seal you away? I am not worthy to hold you, but if the Phantom gets to you, it may seek to corrupt you and drain your power._

 _What should I do?_

"Is she… _communing_ with it?" She heard Rafael mutter.

There was silence.

 _NO._

The answer rumbled imperatively, and she flinched, ducking her head contritely.

 _WE WILL NOT BE SEALED._

She looked up. "It said–"

"I know what it said." Dartz snapped impatiently. "Ra, if you insist on this, you will bring ruin to us all."

 _THEN EARN THE RIGHT AND DUEL MY VESSEL._

Kyo started.

"This is pointless!" Dartz snapped. "She does not have the strength to wield you, and the Phantom will usurp your power!"

 _DUEL MY VESSEL._ Ra repeated. _I WIELD MYSELF._

Kyo's eyes widened. What did that mean?

"No!" Dartz shouted, but a second later she realized exactly what that meant.

The shadow became a burning, fiery presence, and she felt it begin to pour into her body. _What– Dark Magician!_

He appeared. He took in the scene and seized her, and a split second later they were _in what looked like a series of interlocking passages. Fires were erupting all across the ground, and Kyo felt like she was burning from the inside._

 _"_ _Master, did you summon it?" He asked as he lifted her into the air._

 _"_ _No," She winced, clutching her head. "Dartz wanted to take it, and it didn't want to be sealed. It wanted to duel him–" She yelped, and a protective shield popped up around them like an iridescent bubble._

 _"_ _Damn!" He retreated down a corridor and into another room, but the fire was everywhere, and it was spreading. "Please, hold on, Master." He pulled her into a corner and set up a stronger barricade. "We will have to ride it out."_

 _"_ _Dark Magician–" She winced and clutched her head._

 _"_ _Be strong, Master." He implored. "I will not let it destroy you."_

* * *

 _The fire had consumed every corner but the one Dark Magician had shielded. Inside, the temperature was high, but Kyo managed to stay conscious, and Dark Magician heroically kept the barrier strong._

 _It seemed like ages before it finally began to die down. A green light shot through the fire, and Dark Magician grunted. His shield flickered briefly, and Kyo caught a taste of the malevolent energy as it swept through, but it wasn't after them._

 _The fire blazed stronger and hotter, but the green energy was flooding the entire area, and slowly, it died down. Then, suddenly, the green energy was stronger, and it doused the fires in a wave of evil light._

 _Kyo looked up. "Is that…"_

 _"_ _The Seal of Orichalcos." Dark Magician said softly. "I have no fond memories of that magic."_

 _"_ _What… what happened last time?" She asked, but the world was fading._ Dark Magician?

* * *

 _She felt so hollow. She couldn't bear it. She couldn't think straight. How could she have been so selfish?_

 _Yugi…_

She was lying on the ground.

"Kyo? Kyo, can you hear me?"

She stirred. Someone was picking her up; it was that voice again. "Give him back…" She mumbled, then opened her eyes.

"Kyo, wake up." Dartz murmured gently. "You're safe."

"What…" She looked around. They weren't in the temple anymore, but near a large fountain. The temple was behind them, and the skies were open. It looked like the ocean was spreading out all around them, but it also seemed a bit… disconnected, as if it didn't attach.

Or they were floating above it.

"What happened?" She asked.

"Ra took possession of your body, and we dueled." Dartz said. "He was stubborn, but in the end, I defeated him. He has been sealed away." He considered her. "The real question is how you were able to survive being possessed by an Egyptian God."

"Dark Magician…" She blinked and looked around for him, but he wasn't there. "He protected me." She mumbled. _Dark Magician?_

The answer was faint and muffled, and she got the feeling that she wasn't strong enough to summon him.

"I see. That's good news." Dartz inclined his head.

"Why…" She looked back at him. "I keep dreaming of… the Orichalcos, I think. Why?"

He put a hand on her shoulder. "You need to rest. Your body is weak, your soul overtaxed. I can explain everything once you've had time to recover. Rafael," He called.

Rafael was there a moment later.

"Would you take her back to the altar?" He requested.

"Of course, Master." He nodded and scooped her up.

"One more thing," Dartz arose fluidly beside them. "Would you mind telling me where you've hidden Slifer?"

His voice was so soft…

"My room," She mumbled, her eyes drifting shut. "Under my…"


	15. Answers and Questions

_"_ _Since he's_ useless _, I'll sacrifice my Dark Magician."_

 _A Catapult Turtle. Normally, not an issue, but with the power of the Orichalcos in play, these monsters were real._

Hmph. Maybe they'll be more useful to me then.

 _The Dark Magician flew obediently to the turtle's cannon… and then he was gone._

 _"_ _And now that he's gone, he can actually serve a purpose. By strengthening my Dark Magician Girl!"_

Her eyes slid open. She felt twisted and polluted. Had she actually done that? Why was she dreaming about that?

"You have awakened once again." Dartz came over and sat down on the altar beside her. "How are you feeling?"

She gave him an uncomfortable look. "Why… why are you using this power?" She asked.

He tilted his head, seeming to guess what she meant. "Because I am bound to it." He said sadly. "Long ago, the Orichalcos came to curse my land. I fell under its power, and used it to sink Atlantis to the depths of the ocean. The Great Leviathan –not unlike the Egyptian Gods, though much more powerful– was sealed away in the final battle, but I spent thousands of years stealing souls to fuel its rebirth."

Kyo sat up.

He looked away. "I nearly destroyed the world again. However, the Pharaoh was able to lift the curse from me, and opened my eyes to its evil." He sighed. "Yet it seems that even though I was cursed, the gods are not pleased." He looked back. "If I am to earn the right to rest in peace, I must prove my own purity by wielding the power that destroyed me for the benefit of mankind." He looked back at her with his mismatched eyes. "If I can manage that for a thousand years, I will be… forgiven."

She blinked. "That's a long time," She said.

He gave her a sad smile. "I think I got off rather easy. That's only a tenth of the time I spent terrorizing the world."

Her eyes widened.

"Now, I have something for you." He rummaged in his pockets. "While you were resting, I took the liberty of fashioning this little charm." He pulled out a gold scarab hanging from a gold neckband. "It will help manage your powers, and store a reserve in the event that you try to use more than you possess."

She eyed it.

"I would have given you a stone from the Orichalcos, but…" He smiled wryly. "I got the feeling it would not mesh so well. This," He lifted it. "Is gold from an Egyptian tomb. Yours, actually, or rather, the Pharaoh's. I hope the trinket makes up for my trespass in your… resting place."

She still didn't take it. "Who was he? The Pharaoh, I mean? Why do you keep talking like I'm the Pharaoh somehow?"

"He was king of Egypt after I sank Atlantis." Dartz said, lowering the scarab into his lap. "He fought against his own evil, and prevailed where I failed. It was an evil much like the Great Leviathan, but he sealed it away."

She blinked.

"Then, five thousand years later…" He paused. "Which would have been about twenty years ago now." He chuckled. "How time flies." He looked back at her. "His spirit made contact with Yugi, your father. He took up residence in Yugi's mind in order to defeat his evil forever. And with Yugi's help, he did."

Her eyes widened. "What do you mean, like he possessed Dad or…" She faltered. There weren't a lot of other interpretations of 'took up residence in his mind'. But that meant… "Was he… like a ghost, or…"

"He was, in a sense." Dartz inclined his head. "Without a body, though, he was powerless. Yugi, as a spiritual descendant of the ancient pharaohs, was a worthy vessel, and offered the Pharaoh a place to stay. They shared his body, and the Pharaoh appointed himself Yugi's protector."

It was bizarre to think that her father had ever needed protecting. He had always been the one protecting her, hadn't he? With his deck, and with the cards he'd given her?

"Together, they prevailed against the darkness that had birthed during his reign, and saved the world. His task done, the Pharaoh was laid to rest." The mismatched eyes switched to hers, a mysterious amusement in them. "It seems resting in peace was not exactly what he'd had in mind."

She twitched guiltily, but she didn't quite understand. "So…" She frowned. "So how do you know that _I'm_ this pharaoh?"

He laughed. It was a soft, low laugh that seemed almost wicked, and sent chills up her spine.

"How could I _not_ know?" He retorted humorously.

 _"_ _You never change, Master."_ The Dark Magician's own laughter came to mind, and she frowned.

"My dear child. Even if I somehow did not recognize the savior of my soul, your servant leaves no doubt."

She blinked. "Dark Magician?" She shifted. "Why is he so loyal to… to the pharaoh?"

"You would have to ask him for the particulars," Dartz said. "But I believe it is what led him to become the Dark Magician in the first place."

She started. "What do you mean?"

"Well," He smiled secretively. "He was not always the Dark Magician. He was human once. He served as the Pharaoh's personal guardian."

Kyo opened her mouth.

"Are you going to question me all day?" Dartz asked dryly.

She stopped.

"We ought to get you home to Seto Kaiba." Dartz reminded her. He lifted the scarab. "And you should take this. Trust me, it will help."

Kyo hesitated.

"Rafael is picking up Slifer, and now that we have Ra, the Phantom will not come after you." Dartz said. "So you will be safe with Kaiba."

"What about Obelisk?" Kyo asked.

"Yet another question." Dartz chuckled. "We'll handle that later. As I mentioned, and as you no doubt know, Seto Kaiba is not particularly open-minded about things like this. We will be keeping an eye on him, but we will be leaving Obelisk with him until such time as he is in actual danger."

He got to his feet.

Kyo shifted. "I still have so many questions." She started, but she got the feeling she had gotten all the answers she would get for now.

And yet, despite all he had shared with her, it felt like she'd only scratched the surface, and a million more questions were flooding her mind.

"I know." He said, not unkindly. "But for now, you should return home."

"My dad," She got to her feet and looked up. "Is he really… are they both…?"

He gave her a sympathetic look. "I'm afraid so." He said softly.

She hung her head.

He put a hand on her shoulder. "He wanted to ensure your safety, and you're safe now. I know it's hard to accept, but this is what he would want. It's time for you to go home."

* * *

She blinked.

 _Kaiba Mansion._ She thought, recognizing it.

 _I'm back._

She looked down at the ground beneath her feet. There were so many questions left unanswered, but suddenly, all that mattered was that her parents were gone… actually gone, forever.

She was alone.

 _Dad… Mom…_ Her lip trembled, and she winced, tears brimming in her eyes.

 _They're gone. I've lost them forever._

She wanted to run and hide, but some part of her knew that wasn't the right answer. So, with a heavy heart, she wiped her tears and walked up the pathway towards the mansion. Night had fallen; she was late. Lights were on, though, so hopefully not too late.

The door opened a few seconds later.

 _Motion sensors._ Kyo recalled.

"Where the hell have you been, young lady?!" Seto snarled, striding out to her. "And why didn't you tell any of us where–" He stopped.

She tried not to sniff, but she couldn't hold back the tears. She looked away, not making a sound.

"Get inside." He said rather more quietly.

She nodded mutely and hurried past him, once again stunned by the contrast of darkness and light. Kisara was nearby; she looked relieved, but then worried when she saw Kyo's tear-streaked face.

"Look." Seto said gruffly as he closed the door behind him. "I get that losing your parents is hard. I lost mine; I know the feeling." He clenched his fist. "But I do not want you running off without telling someone where you are. You've been missing for over four hours, and that is unacceptable."

She didn't answer, but she did nod again. She didn't trust herself to speak. It had felt like much longer than four hours, but either Dartz had magic that could affect time, or she had hallucinated the whole thing.

She bit her lip.

"You still have school tomorrow, so I suggest you get to bed." Seto said firmly. "Get some rest."

She nodded again and left.


	16. Promises Explained

There was a gentle tap on her door. She stared blankly at the far wall and didn't answer, and a few seconds later, she heard soft footfalls leading away.

 _I'm alone._

 _They're never coming back._

She closed her eyes and hugged her legs. She didn't know what to think. This morning felt like ages ago. So much had happened that it felt like a different life.

 _Dark Magician?_

She felt his presence respond instantly. _"I'm here."_

She gazed at her legs. She needed something else to think about. Something that would help her ignore the gaping hole in her chest.

 _Dartz… did all that actually happen?_ She asked, deciding to start with something basic.

 _"_ _Yes."_ He said simply.

She thought for a moment. _He said… He said you were once human._

There was a long pause, and she looked up to meet his blank blue eyes.

 _"_ _I was."_ He admitted, but he didn't elaborate.

She looked down again. _Why are you here?_

He stepped forward and knelt beside the bed, looking up into her eyes with an ancient expression on his face.

 _"_ _In accordance with custom, I was appointed the guardian of a young prince."_ He said quietly. _"As your servant, I was to serve your every need, and I was expected to give my life for yours without hesitation."_

She gazed at her legs.

 _"_ _But when the time came,"_ He said, _"It was you who saved my life. When you were in danger, I took the hit, and would have died. I was expendable – easily replaced. I had done my duty, as I was told, and protected the crown prince. It was what was expected of me."_

He made it sound almost like he'd just done a chore.

 _"_ _But you chose to save me, at risk to yourself."_ He continued, his tone tinged with emotion. _"A servant. Your bodyguard. I was supposed to be the one protecting you."_

She shifted a little.

 _"_ _From that moment, it was no longer orders from without."_ He said quietly. _"It was my promise, to my king."_ He looked up, and their eyes met. _"I dedicated my life to you. Yet you never once took me for granted. You always treated me with respect far beyond my station; more than I deserved."_

 _Yeah, but…_ She looked down. _Times are different now. I'm no pharaoh. You don't owe me anything. You don't… have to stay._

He tilted his head. _"Do you wish for me to leave?"_

She hesitated.

 _"_ _Then please, allow me to watch over you."_ He said. _"You achieved your destiny and passed through the doors to eternal rest and peace. But something has brought you back."_

She caught a faint tinge of hurt and blinked as his eyes came up to meet hers.

She found herself knowing exactly what he was thinking. Why? Why had the Pharaoh chosen to reincarnate himself? What could be so important that he'd give up… heaven?

She looked down. Of course, she wouldn't know. She didn't know anything about the Pharaoh except what she was piecing together from others' accounts. And even then, the difference seemed so vast between the two of them that it seemed impossible that she could have ever been him to begin with.

She nodded. She would have wanted to know, if it had been her. It felt a little awkward; it meant he wasn't sticking around for her, he was sticking around for the person she'd once been. But she could understand.

 _Guess I'll have to figure out a different signature monster when he leaves._ She thought to herself. The thought was surprisingly difficult to swallow, and she found herself toying with the idea of just getting another Dark Magician card instead. She wouldn't tell him; that would _definitely_ be awkward. But she liked the strategy she'd built, and she was still fond of the idea of making him relevant again.

Realizing she was getting off track, she quickly stuffed those thoughts out of sight. She could revisit them later. In the meantime…

 _Oh. Right._ Her little bubble of lightness popped, and she looked down at her legs again.

They were silent for a minute.

 _I don't have anyone._ She thought, trembling a little. _I mean, I have Kisara, but she's someone I protect, not… and Mr. Kaiba isn't exactly compassionate. Now that Dad and Mom are gone, I… I'm alone._

 _"_ _You are not alone."_

She looked up, and he placed a hand over his heart. _"I know it is not the same, but I am here if you need me."_

She nodded gratefully. "Thank you." She mumbled. _I know it's not really me you're here for, but… thank you anyway._

 _"_ _It's… Mahad, by the way."_

She blinked. "Mahad?"

 _"_ _My name."_ He said a little shyly. _"Mahad, Master Magician and High Priest of the Nameless Pharaoh."_

Her mouth twitched. "Kyo Moto." She introduced redundantly. "It's nice to meet you, Mahad."

He blinked, then smiled back. _"And you, Master Kyo."_

"You don't have to call me that." She said again. "Just Kyo is fine."

He thought about that for a moment, then inclined his head. _"As you wish, Lady Kyo."_

"You don't have to call me 'lady' either." She added a little awkwardly. "I'm not the Pharaoh, and people don't talk like that nowadays. Kyo is what my friends call me." She stuck her hand out. "Friends?"

He blinked, and she got the impression he wasn't sure exactly how to proceed.

"It's a handshake." She explained.

 _"_ _I know."_ He said. _"But I am your guardian and servant, not a peer."_

"You're not my servant, I don't have any servants." She said quickly, a little grumpy. "But I'd like to be friends."

He gave her a sideways, almost suspicious look. After a few seconds, though, he nodded and took her hand. He was intangible, so they couldn't really grip hands, but she could feel a tingle as his energy touched her skin. _"As you wish, Milady."_ He said.

She twitched and opened her mouth, then wondered if he'd done it on purpose. Before she could figure that out, though, something else caught her attention, and she sat up.

He noticed the movement and got to his feet, turning. _"What is it, Milady?"_

She decided not to argue about honorifics at the moment. "Lord Dartz said he sent Rafael here to pick up Slifer." She said, scooting off the bed and over to the hiding place she'd picked.

Mahad frowned, understanding instantly. _"So why is it still here?"_ He followed her over, then held out his hand. _"Wait."_

She looked up.

His eyes narrowed. _"Something's not right."_

She looked back at the spot. She could see that it was still there; she had set up the hiding place in such a way that putting it back exactly as it was would not be the first priority of someone with ill intent.

She could still sense it; the shadow that loomed over them. But now that she was paying attention, there was something… _blank_ about it.

 _Oh no._ She jerked back in alarm, and the shadow erupted, taking form.

 _"_ _Lady Kyo!"_ He leapt between them, throwing up a shield, but it started to warp. _"What–"_

 _Chaos._ Kyo remembered suddenly. _Dartz said it has the powers of chaos._ She grabbed her deck and drew. "Dedication through Light and Darkness!"

He looked back in surprise, but a moment later, the magic was whipping up around him. He stepped into it, and his armor changed as he transitioned from Dark Magician to Chaos Mage.

In the meantime, though, the bubble dropped completely, and Slifer erupted from the spot where its card had been resting. It was far, far too big for her room, but the beast launched out into the sky outside, passing right through solid matter and filling up her entire window.

 _Did it work?_ "Mahad?" She queried.

The mage straightened and turned. His red eyes met hers, and a shiver ran through her. He looked… _wild_.

She knew it was just the Dark Magician of Chaos, but this wasn't a card game anymore, and she had no idea if she'd helped him or made things worse.

They were interrupted by a primordial roar. It didn't sound like a dragon's roar, though, and Kyo's heart sank. _That definitely isn't Slifer anymore._ She thought. _What have I done?_

The mage had glanced at the window.

"Mahad?" She repeated in a low voice, but again, they were interrupted – shouts from inside told her that they weren't the only ones to hear the twisted god's challenge.

 _Oh no._ She spun and ran to the door. "Kisara!" _Mr. Kaiba's fine, he's got an Egyptian God. Well, as long as another piece of the Phantom doesn't show up and corrupt it. And I have Mahad–_ She stopped and looked back. "Mahad?"

 _"_ _I'm here."_ He said at last. His voice sounded altered, and he was studying his staff with a strange look on his face. He looked up at the window again with an unnerving expression. _"I'm not sure this was the wisest move."_

She hesitated. She wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer, but she asked anyway. "Why? Is it… because that's a creature of chaos?"

 _"_ _It calls me."_ He said quietly. He didn't move… though he didn't follow her, either.

 _Damn!_ "Sorry," She apologized. "I thought… since it was a creature of chaos, that it would be easier to fight this way." She hesitated. "Can I undo it?"

There was another roar, and she heard Kisara's gasp of fear nearby and turned to see the white-haired girl run up.

"Kyo! Did you hear that? What's going on?" She asked in a rush.

Kyo looked back in and saw Mahad blinking dazedly. _Mahad?_ She repeated mentally.

 _"_ _I…"_ He swayed and clutched his head with one hand. _"Master,"_ He sounded dazed.

 _What do I need to do?_ She asked instantly, flipping through her deck. The Dark Magician card was blank.

"Kyo, we should go find Father!" Kisara grabbed her arm.

"One moment. I have to do something first." She shook her off. "What about Dark Renewal? Can I bring you back with that?"

"What are you talking about?" Kisara asked, confused.

Mahad took a dizzy step towards the window.

 _Damn! I don't have any time! But I can't just play this, I need another monster._ She grabbed the next one she could find. "Kinka-byo!" She called, lifting it. She had no idea what she was doing, but to her great relief, a small white cat appeared by her feet – its shadow stretching unnaturally across the ground.

"Now I activate Dark Renewal!" She added, switching cards. A large sarcophagus appeared, and both mage and cat were sucked in. It snapped shut.

"Kyo, what are you doing?! We have to find Father!" Kisara said urgently.

The sarcophagus opened, and the Dark Magician emerged, looking a little dizzy.

"Mahad?" Kyo asked nervously. "You okay?"

 _"_ _I… think so."_ He said as he climbed out. _"I would not recommend that move again, however."_

"Sorry," She repeated quickly.

 _"_ _It was worth a shot."_ He said fairly.

"Who are you talking to?" Kisara asked. "Kyo? Are you okay?"

 _Mahad?_

 _"_ _I'll be fine."_ He said. _"But I cannot protect you from this."_

 _Then we'll go find Mr. Kaiba._ Kyo turned. "I am now. Come on." She grabbed Kisara's hand, and they ran off down the hall.


	17. The Power of Chaos

"Mr. Kaiba? Mr. Kaiba!"

"Father! Where are you?"

 _What happened?_ Kyo wondered as they ran through the house, calling for Seto. _I thought Rafael was supposed to get it before the Phantom did._

 _"If that was their plan."_ Mahad said quietly.

Kyo stopped short and looked back. _You don't think…_

She felt sick. She hadn't really been fully conscious. It had been just after Dartz's duel with Ra, so she hadn't been thinking straight. But still… she'd thought…

"Kyo?" Kisara asked. "What's wrong? You're acting strange."

She didn't know what to think. She'd thought, after everything Dartz had said and done… if he had wanted Ra, he could have just taken it. He already had her prisoner; he hadn't needed to give Mahad back.

But he hadn't known where Slifer was.

That didn't explain freeing Mahad.

Or did it? If he'd known Ra would put up a fight, and that Kyo couldn't handle being the vessel of an Egyptian God without Mahad's protection…

"What have I done?" She moaned, covering her mouth.

"Kyo?"

"Kisara! Kyo!"

They whirled to see Seto coming down the stairs.

"Father!" Kisara gasped, running over to him.

Kyo swallowed. _I can't believe… I thought…_

 _What have I done?!_

"Are you two all right? What happened?" Seto queried.

"There was this strange red light outside," Kisara said quickly. "Then that roar – did you hear it, Father?"

"I heard it." He said. It would have been difficult not to, but he didn't bother pointing that out.

"What is it?" Kisara asked.

"I'm not sure." He started for the door. "I would say Slifer the Sky Dragon, but that didn't sound like him."

"Wait–" Kyo started, but stopped.

Seto looked over at her. "Do you know something about this, Kyo?" He paused, his eyes narrowing. "Obelisk wasn't the only Egyptian God card your father left for you, was it?"

Kyo stiffened. She knew he'd be sharp, but she hadn't expected him to jump straight to the heart of the matter. "That's not Slifer!" She said a little defensively. _Damn, damn, damn, what have I done?!_

"Then what is it, and what's it doing right outside your window?" He challenged.

She whitened. "It's a phantom –it possessed Slifer– Dartz said it's what killed my dad, but Rafael was supposed to come pick it up before the phantom got it– only now, something's happened–" She babbled.

"So it _is_ Slifer." Seto interrupted, turning and reaching for the handle. "And you were brainless enough to think you could handle an Egyptian God card all on your own, did you?" He stopped and looked back. "You mean to tell me that snake Dartz is behind this? What else have you been hiding, Kyo?"

She stopped. How could this possibly get worse?

 _I have to fix this._ She thought. _How could I have been so blind?_ She ran to the door, but Seto intercepted her, catching her arm.

"Just where do you think you're going, brat?" He snapped.

"Let go!" She shouted. _Mahad!_

His invisible arm interceded, and Seto fell back with a grunt of surprise.

"What the hell– get back here!" He roared.

"Kyo!" Kisara added, shocked.

 _"Lady Kyo, I do not think this is wise."_ Mahad said as he flew along beside her, staff raised in defense. _"I cannot protect you from this new devilry–"_

A gigantic red coil slammed down on the path in front of her, and she skidded to a halt, turning to look up at the beast towering over her.

 _"Lady Kyo!"_ Mahad gasped, seizing her and taking off as the twisted Slifer let loose a blast of wicked fire.

"Mahad, we have to find Dartz!" She said above the searing flames. "He has Ra, and we have to get it back before he corrupts that one too!"

 _"Milady, if he was able to corrupt Slifer in the time it took to send you back, then Ra has long since turned against us as well."_ Mahad pointed out. _"Attempting to free Ra would do no good."_

"We can't just–"

A burst of blue light shot up, and Mahad fell back as Obelisk emerged from the earth. They both looked down to see Seto with his dueldisk, still standing by the doorway.

"Obelisk, destroy this cheap imitation and send it packing!" Seto roared.

The great beast surged up, pulling back its fist, and the evil Slifer snarled back defiantly, spreading its wings and opening its jaw to reveal that its second mouth had moved inside the first. A wave of distorted energy emitted, warping the entire world around them.

Mahad slumped, groaning, and Kyo screamed in shock as they started to drop. She looked back to see his eyes glazed over, and felt a thrill of terror.

"Eatos, catch them!"

Another burst of light erupted around her, and feathered wings embraced the two of them.

"Eatos?" Kyo frowned. That didn't make any sense at all.

The angel inclined her head as she carried them down.

"Rafael!" Kyo exclaimed as she spotted him. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I _was_ coming to get Slifer, but it looks like I'm too late." He said as Eatos landed, depositing them gently on the grass.

"Mahad!" She turned. "Mahad? Are you all right?"

"Mahad?" Rafael queried. "Is that his name?" He realized as she went to the dazed Dark Magician.

He just groaned.

An almighty crack sounded overhead, and they looked up in time to see Obelisk punching Slifer square in the jaw, throwing his head up and forcing the beam of chaotic energy off course.

Kyo whipped back around. "What did you do to Slifer? I thought you were going to seal him like you did Ra! And what do you mean, you're late?! You left before I did!"

"That's because Master Dartz sent you back in time, kid." Rafael said. "Damn." He drew a card. "This won't end well. Kaiba's already in play, and he's not likely to back off and let me handle this."

"What do you mean? Why didn't Dartz just send you back in time too?" Kyo demanded.

"He couldn't. He pulled you from the timestream so he could send you back without getting in trouble for being gone too long." Rafael said. "He didn't bother with me because I don't have a curfew. We didn't realize the Phantom would get to Slifer so soon."

Kyo hesitated. _Well, at least I didn't completely blow it._ "You could've told me you'd be showing up!"

"He was supposed to, but I think it slipped his mind." Rafael said. "Or you asked too many questions." He straightened. "Damn. I'm going to have to play it." He turned. "Send your Dark Magician back."

"Why?" She rebutted.

"Because I'm about to play the Seal of Orichalcos, and you didn't exactly mix well with that last time." He explained. "We can't afford to have you going off the rails while I'm trying to save Kaiba's soul."

"What are you talking about?"

"Just send him back!" Rafael snapped at her. "Ask questions later!"

Kyo hesitated, but Mahad was still out of it, and Slifer was gearing up another chaos wave.

 _Get some rest._

The magician stirred, one hand lifting weakly as he tried to reach for her. _"Master…"_

Then he was gone.

"Good. Stand back." Rafael ordered, stepping forward and looking up at Eatos. "Are you ready?" He asked quietly.

She inclined her head.

He bowed his. "I'm sorry."

Kyo's eyes widened in shock as Rafael raised his arm.

"I activate the Seal of Orichalcos!" He shouted.

Green light erupted around him, then surged across the grounds, enveloping both Egyptian Gods in its evil light.

"What the–" Seto started.

Slifer howled in outrage, and Obelisk blazed with fury, making Seto stagger under the weight of his divine wrath.

"Damn you! What the hell do you think you're doing, punk?!" Seto roared, the strength of his temper almost matching the Egyptian Gods.

"Saving your miserable hide, Kaiba." Rafael's voice had deepened, and Eatos's wings had turned black.

 _What…_ Kyo felt a chill run down her spine as she stared at the light, transfixed.

 _"Since he's_ useless _, I'll sacrifice my Dark Magician."_

 _A Catapult Turtle. Normally, not an issue, but with the power of the Orichalcos in play, these monsters were real._

Hmph. Maybe they'll be more useful to me then.

 _The Dark Magician flew obediently to the turtle's cannon… and then he was gone._

 _"And now that he's gone, he can actually serve a purpose. By strengthening my Dark Magician Girl!"_

Her eyes flew open. _No! Mahad!_ She whirled, but she'd dismissed him. _Mahad?_

"Guardian Eatos, let's blast this oversized worm." Rafael growled as he drew a card. "With your Celestial Sword!"

A beam of white light shot down from the sky and struck the ground, taking the form of a thin white blade. Eatos bent, drawing it from the earth, and turned.

Kyo stiffened as the nightmarish image burned itself into her brain. The once-gentle gaze was red with malice, and the green seal was stamped on Eatos's forehead, glowing with an evil light. Their eyes met, and Kyo felt frozen with terror.

 _Did I do this?_

The dread filled her heart, and she staggered back to hit the fence.

Obelisk was bending down towards the black-winged guardian in anger, but Slifer struck him from behind, distracting him and turning his attention back to the twisted god.

Eatos flew up, lifting her sword to the sky, and lightning shot down to strike the now-black blade.

 _"Since he's_ useless _, I'll sacrifice my Dark Magician."_

She felt sick.

Slifer let out another blast of chaos, but curiously, it seemed the seal prevented the energy from spreading beyond its barrier – trapping everything within.

 _That must be why._ She realized vaguely as she watched Slifer writhing uselessly. _So the chaos can't escape…_

Eatos shot forward, slashing at the serpentine god, then darted out of the way as Obelisk charged forward.

Slifer was thrown against the barrier. He recovered and roared in rage, but was met with the rumble of Obelisk and Eatos's fallen warcry.

Slifer studied them for a moment, then rounded on Eatos.

 _No, it's after Rafael._ Kyo realized in astonishment. _It's going straight for him!_ "Rafael!" She shouted, running forward. She didn't know what she was doing, but she knew she had to do something, or he'd lose.

Slifer let loose the blast of chaos, and Rafael grunted, clutching his head.

Eatos started forward to defend, but she couldn't intercept the attack. Obelisk geared up, but Slifer pressed harder, and the seal started to warp. Slifer flicked its tail, and Eatos was hurled to the side, slamming into the wall of green light with a grunt of pain before sliding down, dazed.

 _No way!_ Kyo gasped. _Dark Magician!_

He burst onto the scene beside her, but staggered as he hit the ground, clutching his head.

 _No! Damn it!_

Slifer pressed harder, and Rafael stumbled to his knees under the weight of the twisted god's fury.

Kyo drew a card from her deck. "Rafael!" She raced up to the light and raised it – there was only one creature she could think of that would help against something this powerful.

"Winged Kuriboh!"

The little winged furball appeared, and Kyo threw up another card. "Transcendent Wings! Go, help him!"

The Kuriboh's wings tripled in size, and it shot forward through the weakening seal. It flew up into the central space even as Eatos scrambled to her feet, charging up another blast for her sword.

There was a brief pause as everyone turned to stare at the newcomer. Then light erupted from the Winged Kuriboh, enveloping the entire field.

She heard several roars, and the seal shattered. Eatos's eagle cry rang through the air, and a red beam shot away, snarling with denied fury.


	18. Family

Author's Note: Hey guys! I apologize for missing last week - school finals and moving out of my dorm room kept me kinda busy. But here! I will upload the next three chapters for y'all to enjoy. Happy holidays!

* * *

"Rafael!" Kyo called.

Slowly, the light died down, and she sensed Kuriboh's power returning to the cards in her hand.

At last, a silhouette appeared in the light, and Rafael's biker jacket came into view. He turned, and she saw the last traces of the Orichalcos's evil power slip from his eyes. Eatos, still floating overhead, was shedding the black feathers, her expression gentling again.

Rafael rounded on her. "Do you have any idea what you did?" He snapped. "You almost got yourself killed!"

Kyo jerked back as if he'd slapped her. "You were going to lose!"

"Eatos would have protected me!" Rafael retorted. "If you hadn't intervened, I could have captured Slifer with the Seal of Orichalcos! Instead, now he's loose, and there's no telling what he'll do next!"

She stopped. _Did I just mess up_ again _?!_

Eatos looked over at Rafael. _"Do not blame her. It would have been very close."_ She said gently.

He looked up.

 _Well, that's a–_ "Wait, I can hear you too now?" Kyo did a double take.

Rafael started and looked back at her with interest. "You can hear Eatos?"

"Yeah," She shifted. "But how is that possible? I couldn't hear her before."

"Rafael!" Seto barked, and they turned to see him marching up. "You'd better have a good explanation for this."

"Damn." Rafael muttered, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He turned. "Eatos, follow Slifer. I'll be along in a minute."

She inclined her head and shot away.

Rafael pulled out a phone and lifted it to his ear.

"What the hell are you doing here, Rafael?" Seto demanded. "What did you do with Slifer? Where is the Winged Dragon of Ra? And what lies have you been telling Kyo?"

Rafael threw him a dark look, but didn't answer. "Hey, boss. I failed. The Phantom got to Slifer before I got here. Yeah, I know. I don't know how it could've gotten here so fast." He paused, listening.

"If that's Dartz, tell that snake he'd better keep his grubby little paws off my company and stay the hell away from my daughters." Seto snarled.

Rafael rolled his eyes. "Something tells me that's your answer, Master." He shook his head. "Listen," He added, his gaze switching to Kyo. "Kyo just broke through the seal. She– yeah. Wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't just saved my hide. Slifer's way stronger than the host it was using before. Even at a third of its power, the Phantom was starting to warp the seal. I couldn't keep it in."

Kyo blinked. _It had another host?_

"She slipped in a little puffball Kuriboh, caused a stalemate and shattered the seal. Slifer flew off." He paused. "I sent Eatos after it, so you should be able to see through her eyes. I was going to try to catch up."

Kyo looked up at Seto, but he seemed content to wait for the moment. Though the way he was standing reminded her that even with the threat of the Egyptian Gods and a Phantom, she still didn't want to get on his bad side.

 _And now he knows I had Slifer. Which means he knows I had Ra. And lied to him. To his face._

 _Great._

"You sure?" Rafael frowned. "Sure, she's strong, but– yes, sir." He nodded. "I'll handle it." He clicked the phone shut and turned.

"Start talking." Seto snapped. "Did Dartz put you up to this? When did you get in touch with Kyo, and what lies have you been filling her head with?"

"Yes, Master Dartz put me up to this." Rafael said dryly. "I'm trying to save the world from that," He pointed in the direction Slifer had flown off. "And I got in touch with her at around two in the afternoon." He added, gesturing at Kyo.

"Kyo," Seto growled, not taking his eyes off Rafael. "Did he tell you to give him the other Egyptian God cards? Did you give him Ra?"

She shifted. "No." She said. "Well, he asked for them, but I didn't give them to him." Which was true. Ish.

"Then where is Ra? And what's with the freakshow version of Slifer?"

Rafael rubbed his forehead. "Damn. I forgot what a pain in the neck you are, Kaiba." He folded his arms. "The Phantom is an extremely powerful and dangerous monster, infused with the power of chaos. We're trying to get to the Egyptian Gods before it does. We already have Ra locked away, so that one won't be a problem." He gestured in the direction of Slifer. "But obviously, we didn't get to Slifer fast enough. The Phantom's corrupted it, and now it's on the loose."

Seto gave him a flat look. "Do you really expect me to believe a word you say?"

Kyo stared at him.

"No." Rafael returned flatly. "You didn't believe it last time, either, even though you lost your _soul_ for a few minutes there." He shook his head. "But you asked." He turned. "Kyo, you might be just a kid, but you have a lot of power. Master Dartz thinks you might be able to help us."

Kyo hesitated, but to her surprise, it wasn't Dark Magician who leapt in front of her.

"Over my dead body, punk. If you lay a _finger_ on her, I'll rip you apart."

Kyo blinked and looked up at him, startled. What was he doing? He had always been so hard on her; why was he protecting her?

Rafael glared back. "The Phantom will tear us all to shreds if we don't put a stop to it while we still can. It took everything we had to split it into three pieces. Yugi _died_ to give us this chance, to defeat the Phantom while its power is divided. But as you saw, even the fragments are tough customers."

Kyo shifted as Rafael pointed at her.

"Kyo's young, but she's strong. And by her age, Yugi was the King of Games. If she's anything like her father, then we can't afford to _not_ have her help."

"I said," Seto growled, taking a step forward. "Over my dead body."

There was silence.

 _This all happened because of me._ Kyo thought. _I have to fix this._

 _"It's not your fault, Milady."_ Mahad murmured quietly.

 _I still have to try._ She clenched her fists. _Dad died to protect me. I can't let him die for nothing, not if there's something I can do to help._

"Mr. Kaiba?" She asked tremulously.

Everyone turned to look at her.

"This all happened…" She started falteringly. "This is all my fault." It took everything she had to admit it, and it felt like she was being crushed by her sin.

She looked down. "I lied about the Egyptian Gods. If I'd told you, you could have kept them safe. Instead," She trembled. "Instead, Slifer's been corrupted. If you hadn't been here… I'd be dead right now." She looked up again. "I want to fix this. It's my fault that thing got to Slifer. If I can help… let me help. Please." She begged.

"You're too young." Seto said. "Your deck can't possibly stand up to an Egyptian God."

"I'll find a way." She returned. "It's not a Kuriboh deck anymore, and I know how powerful they are."

He blinked. Then straightened. "I'll be the judge of that." He said firmly. He turned back to Rafael. "Look, pal. You're not taking my daughter, and if you know what's good for you, you'll clear out of here before I really get angry. You want help against some mystic hocus-pocus nonsense, ask Wheeler. Don't come crying to me."

"Wheeler's already helping us." Rafael said. "Besides," He added in a faintly mocking tone. "If it's all just hocus-pocus nonsense, then there's no danger."

Seto's fists clenched. "I'm not going to say it again."

They glared at each other for several seconds.

 _Why is he being so protective of me? This doesn't seem like him at all._ "Please, Mr. Kaiba." Kyo tried again, stepping forward. "I want to help. I messed up; let me fix this."

Seto looked over at her, and she squared her shoulders, giving him her most determined expression.

"Hmph." He snorted. And to her surprise, a smirk crossed his face. "Well," He turned back. "I don't know what it is with you asking for the help of some adolescent brat, but who am I to stop you?"

That was definitely a smirk. And that sounded a lot more like Seto.

"I should probably warn you, though." He continued, folding his arms and smirking again. "This one's a Kaiba. Whatever problem you think you have, you won't have it for much longer. That I can guarantee."

 _Nope. That's still not…_ Kyo hesitated. It sounded like Seto. But the words coming out were about the wrong person. This was how he praised Kisara, not her.

"But you'll still have it for one more night." Seto added, thrusting his arm out when Rafael took a step forward. "We have something to discuss."

Rafael eyed him for a moment, and Kyo wondered if he was debating whether or not to push it.

In the end, though, it seemed he decided to quit while he was ahead, and Kyo wasn't surprised; Seto's mercurial mood was making her dizzy.

"All right. Someone will swing by to pick her up in the morning." Rafael said, stepping back. "If I haven't lost my soul by then, it'll be me."

"Whatever." Seto grunted. "Get lost."

 _He's already leaving, Mr. Kaiba._ Kyo thought, faintly annoyed. She waved, and Rafael nodded back.

Then he was gone.

Seto's expression hardened, and there was silence. Footsteps sounded, and Kyo turned to see Kisara coming over.

The wind rustled through the grass.

 _And here it comes. I'm gonna pay for lying now._ Kyo thought, bracing herself. _I just… wanted to… I don't know what I wanted. Which is no excuse. So I have to face this._

She turned and looked up, hoping he could see that she was ready to accept the consequences of her actions.

His eyes narrowed slightly. "I know I've been hard on you."

She stopped. That didn't sound like the beginning of a reprimand, that sounded like the beginning of a…

"But in order to survive, you have to be tough. You can't rely on anyone to help you." He looked down at the two of them, his fists clenched in determination. "You're family now." Seto said. "And we look out for each other." He looked over at Kisara, then back. "Because family is all we have." His expression hardened again. "I don't know what their game is, but I expect you to win it."

* * *

That night, she lay in bed, turning the events over in her mind. Seto's declaration had thrown a new light on things; it had given her a new perspective to look at.

Yes, he was hard. But he was hard on himself, too. Yes, he pushed them, but he always expected them to succeed. He was tough… but he wanted them to be, too. He wanted them to be the best of the best.

And that made a lot of what he'd done make sense.

She still would have liked it if he had been a little more… easygoing about it. There were some things he'd done that he could have gone easier on them for. But she found, as she lay there thinking about it as a way of making her and Kisara stronger… she could almost forgive him for that. She didn't like it, but that was just part of who he was.

But there was something else on her mind.

 _Mahad?_ She looked up.

He faded into view and looked down at her. _"You should be resting, Milady."_

She gave him a rueful look. _There's so much on my mind right now._ She sat up. _For example, how can we fight the power of chaos if it can warp everything? I stopped it with Winged Kuriboh, but I think I just caught them by surprise. I can't expect that kind of advantage every time._

Mahad was quiet for a moment. _"After having experienced the effects for myself, I believe there is a way to resist it."_

She blinked. _How?_

He touched his chest. _"When I swore to protect you, I delved into magic, resolving to acquire all the power I could to ensure I could keep my promise. I seemed to have a talent for it,"_ He smiled with a hint of pride, _"And soon grew to become the most powerful magician in the world."_

Her eyes widened. _And you still served…?_

 _No wonder I… er, the Pharaoh… respected him._

Mahad's expression becoming modest again. _"My power was… very great. Too great. I became concerned that I would not be able to control it, or contain it. So I sealed a portion of my power away."_

 _Can you unlock it?_ She asked.

He hesitated. _"Well, I unlocked it just prior to becoming the Dark Magician. An enemy of great power threatened to destroy the kingdom, and I sought to fight it off. I… failed."_ He admitted. _"It took the power of the Egyptian Gods to defeat that enemy. In the meantime, I wound up back where I started."_

 _Too much power?_ She guessed.

He inclined his head. _"That, and my pharaoh had just sealed himself away so as to ready himself for when the evil returned. So I sealed it again."_

 _Where is it?_ She asked.

His expression became faintly perturbed. _"I… did not trust myself."_ He said, very quietly. _"So, while I know where it is and can get to it, I cannot access it."_

She got up. _What do you need?_

His eyes flicked to hers. _"I need you."_ He shifted. _"I sealed it with the expectation that the pharaoh would either need it or not… I did not anticipate that you would choose to reincarnate yourself. It may… not work."_

 _Well, let's give it a shot._ She suggested. _At least we'll know, right? What do we need to do?_

He held out his hand. _"Come with me."_


	19. The Magician's Hourglass

Author's Note: Hey guys! I apologize for missing last week - school finals and moving out of my dorm room kept me kinda busy. But here! I will upload the next three chapters for y'all to enjoy. Happy holidays!

* * *

Sunlight beat strongly against her eyelids. When she opened them, she found herself floating above what looked like a city straight out of the ancient past. Warm sandstone and colorful fabrics were lit by a mystical sun, and in the distance, a palace could be seen standing protectively over the streets below.

She looked around, and saw a man floating beside her. His skin was darker. His eyes were purple, his hair was brown, and he was clad in white robes and gold fineries, but she still recognized him; this must have been what he looked like when he was human.

"Is this Egypt?" She asked.

Mahad looked over at her and nodded. He leaned forward, flying down, and she followed suit.

There were people in the streets, but Kyo got the funny impression that they were filler; just there to keep it from appearing empty. The sound of pleasant chatter came up, but she couldn't pick out any words.

She looked over at Mahad, who was leading the way to the palace. Was his power stored there?

He landed on the palace steps and started up them. Kyo landed behind him, and the doors opened before them. Overhead, she saw guards salute them before returning to their vigil.

She looked around at the courtyard, but there was no one to greet them here; was that normal?

Mahad led the way into the palace, and she hastened to keep up, following him through a few passages until they arrived in a large room. She would have thought it was the throne room, but instead of a throne, there was a giant hourglass, filled with glowing golden sand.

There was no one here, either; since passing the walls into the palace, they hadn't met a single person, filler or no. Perhaps at close range, it was more obvious that they weren't real.

Mahad stopped.

She looked up, but he didn't speak. "Is this it?" She asked, and his gaze switched to hers, but he didn't answer.

She swallowed. _Maybe he can't talk._ She thought. _Or maybe I wouldn't understand him? We are in Egypt, after all, and I don't know Ancient Egyptian…_ She turned back to the room at large.

She took a step forward, then stopped herself. _Okay, hang on. I doubt it would be so simple that I could just walk up to his power and let it loose. So let's evaluate the field._

She looked around. _The room is empty; no attendants. There are several exits… or entrances. So the room might not stay empty. But this was his spell; unless he actually sealed another soul in here, anyone who shows up will be filler._

 _That doesn't mean they are expendable, though._ She reminded herself. _I'm supposed to be the pharaoh, sort of. These would be my people. Sort of. So I can't just force my way through anyone who shows up. Not that I'd try, but hey. Ground rules._

 _Okay._ She took a deep breath and let it out, then studied the room for the second layer of information – spells and traps. Now that she'd been around Mahad and the Egyptian Gods, she was pretty sure she could sense magic. Of course, not sensing magic didn't mean there wasn't any – it could be hidden. As for traps, well, walking right up to the hourglass without taking them into account was ridiculous.

But this was supposed to be the throne room, wasn't it? There might be an hourglass, but wasn't that where the throne would have gone? It would make sense if that was where Mahad had put his power.

Or would it? Maybe it was a decoy. A distraction from his real power.

 _Ugh. Okay. But Mahad brought me here. So if it's not the hourglass, it must be in this room._ She pulled a face. _I really hope he hasn't made it more complicated than that._

 _Well, this is an enormous amount of power, apparently. He wanted to keep it safe._

 _Yikes!_ She took another deep breath and let it out. _Right. Well, I have to start somewhere, or I'll be standing here all day._

 _So, let's say that's his power._ She looked around the room again. _Doesn't look like there are any guards. I should be allowed to walk right up to it anyway; I'm the pharaoh here, or I'm filling in for him. I can't sense any spells, and this seems like a peculiar place to put traps._

 _So…_

She started forward, testing each step with great caution. Once she'd gone a few paces, Mahad started to follow, so she figured she was on the right track, so she relaxed a little.

 _Okay… oh._ She stopped as she came close to the hourglass. _Oh, wow._

She could feel it. The steady thrum of power filled her head, and she started to grasp what he meant. It was almost double what he had now, and he was already a powerful magician.

She reached out, but hesitated. _Am I permitted?_ She wondered.

Silence was her only answer.

She laid her fingers on the glass. The tingle of energy came through the contact, and her eyes widened with awe.

 _It's flowing upward._ She noticed as she gazed in at the glowing sand.

 _Okay. Focus._ She removed her hand and looked the hourglass over. There was a golden drum of sorts sticking out of the bottom half, with a slot in it about three inches tall and less than an inch wide.

 _Is that for a key?_ She wondered, looking around. Her eyes fell on Mahad, and she stopped, distracted. He was gazing at the hourglass with the same expression he'd worn when Slifer had been using its chaos attack.

 _He said he didn't trust himself with this power._ She recalled, looking back at the hourglass. _Is it really that dangerous?_

She felt a flicker of concern.

 _Well, honestly, even if he went dark-side, he can't be worse than the Phantom, and besides, he's only around because I summoned him…_

 _Of course, his power might make it so he isn't reliant on me to summon him._ She mused, turning back to look around at the room at large. _So where is the key?_

There didn't seem to be one, at least not within sight. But the hole seemed too big for a key anyway. She turned back to examine it. _What goes here, then, if not a key?_ She was pretty sure this was how to open the hourglass and release Mahad's power. But how?

She fingered the opening, thinking. _Maybe… the key is the pharaoh's power._ She thought. _He has power, right? Mahad said it needed him. Since he's gone, it might be impossible to open. But if it's at all possible, then I have the key. And only I would._

She studied it for a moment. _So what do I do?_

 _"I have something for you. It will help you manage your powers, and store a reserve in the event that you try to use more than you possess."_

She stuck her hand in her pocket and pulled out the scarab. She hadn't put it on, but maybe it would still work.

She stared at it for a moment, then placed it against the slot.

Nothing happened.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, she lifted it away. _Obviously, the pharaoh didn't have something like this. So maybe… maybe I should wear it instead._ She lifted it to her neck and did up the clasp. It was a little tight, but when she was done, she found that it didn't interfere at all.

 _Okay, let's try this again._

She placed her hand on the drum and focused, imagining a sliver of her power entering the drum and unlocking whatever mechanism Mahad had designed. If it was only supposed to recognize the pharaoh, then all she needed was to insert some power. Otherwise, she'd have to figure out whatever puzzle–

There was a click.

The drum casing dissolved into molten gold, and the sand dropped instantly to fall the correct way. Gold light started to pour out of the hourglass, and Kyo backed away instinctively.

Mahad stepped up and thrust his hand into the drum, and the light shot up his arm in tiny veins of gold. He grunted, stiffening as if in pain, but stayed where he was as the sand poured into his soul.

Kyo shifted. _Was it that easy?_

 _I guess… if there's only one person who can unlock it…_ She wasn't sure how she felt. Maybe that meant it was hard, but she'd been expecting something… more.

Mahad hissed and dropped to his knees, his arm still embedded in the hourglass.

"Mahad?" She gasped in consternation, hurrying over.

Power erupted around him, forcing her back, and she threw her hands up in defense. When she lowered them, he was slumped against the hourglass. His eyes were closed, and he looked like he had passed out. Or…

"Mahad?" She called, coming over more cautiously this time.

He moaned – he was still alive, at least. She looked up and saw that the transfer was almost complete.

 _Damn, just how powerful is he?_

The last of it drained away, and he fell out of the hourglass, collapsing awkwardly on the floor.

"Mahad?" She repeated, kneeling across from him.

He stirred and raised his head, and she blinked in surprise. Golden energy swirled around him, solidifying into a new set of golden armor. Under his robes was a dark skintight outfit of some kind, and his cape fluttered a little in a secret breeze.

The hourglass shimmered and shrank rapidly, popping down to the size of a minute-sized version and flying over to her. She caught it and stared at it, then looked back at Mahad. "Are you all right?"

The corner of his mouth twisted into a grin. "Definitely." He stopped, then pushed himself to his knees, bowing his head as his tone switched back to respectful. "Milady, please forgive my address. It was uncalled for."

She hesitated. It _had_ made her a little nervous to hear his almost wicked triumph, but it wasn't like he was going to explode or anything… right?

"That's all right, Mahad." She said quietly, hoping she was saying the right thing. "How do you feel? Do you think you can fight the Phantom now?"

"I believe so, Milady." He said with confidence, but he didn't rise. He looked up. "I devised that hourglass so you may use it to instantly re-seal my power. All you need do is press the button on the end."

She looked down at the hourglass again. "So is this coming back with us?" She asked.

"Yes." He nodded. "Please, keep it with you. If I am wrong and I cannot resist chaos, or gods forbid I…" He swallowed and stopped; the idea seemed to be too much to voice.

Kyo nodded. "I understand." It grew a leather thong as she spoke, so she hung it around her neck.

He bowed his head. "I am ready to serve, Milady."


	20. Setting Off

Author's Note: Hey guys! I apologize for missing last week - school finals and moving out of my dorm room kept me kinda busy. But here! I will upload the next three chapters for y'all to enjoy. Happy holidays!

* * *

"Hey… Kyo?"

"What…" Another jaw-cracking yawn interrupted her, and she stuffed her spare outfit into her pack. She didn't know what all she would need, so she was figuring on packing for an overnight and leaving as much space as she could for anything else Rafael might suggest. "What is it, Kis?"

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Kisara asked, looking concerned. "I mean, you just lost your parents, and we're not adults, we're kids. Shouldn't they be handling this and not us?"

Kyo picked up the hourglass pendant, which had been resting right next to her deck. "I don't know." She said honestly as she put it on. "What I do know is that the world's in danger, and I made it worse when I let the Phantom get to Slifer."

"But that… it's not your fault." Kisara dithered, as if trying to come up with an excuse.

Kyo gave her a small smile. "My father gave his life to split it into three pieces. It's up to us to make sure his sacrifice is not in vain." She grabbed her deck and set it in the golden box, but stopped at the sight of the top card.

It was the Dark Magician card, but it had been significantly altered. She knew it was, because her Dark Magician card was gone, and this one had Mahad's presence in it. Now, it was 'Palladium Oracle Mahad', and it had the same appearance he had had right after he had absorbed the rest of his energy.

She gazed at it for a moment. _Mahad entrusted me with his power._ It had never really occurred to her that a good person could be so powerful that they might become a bad one, or that someone would try to get around it by sealing enough of their power away to keep that from happening. Would she have done the same in his position?

"Kyo?"

She looked up. "I have to do this." She said, filled with determination. Then she gave Kisara her most reassuring smile. "I'll be fine. I have Dark Magician, and I've never lost a duel, remember?"

Kisara still looked worried. "But this isn't a card game anymore."

Kyo came over and gave her a quick hug. "I know. That's why I'm going with Rafael. He and Lord Dartz will teach me how to fight." She stepped back and put her deck in the box, then grabbed her bag. "All right. I'm off."

"Be careful." Kisara said quietly, her eyes shimmering a little.

Kyo paused. "I will." She replied. "See you soon, Kis."

"I'll be waiting."

* * *

Rafael was standing by the door, but so was Seto. They both turned as the girls came down the stairs.

"Here." Seto tossed over a dueldisk. "You'll be needing this."

Kyo caught it, startled, then stared at it in astonishment. "A dueldisk?" She looked at it, then up at Seto, who nodded.

"You would have gotten one when you entered the Battle City Tournament, but now's as good a time as any." He explained.

"Unless you want one of these." Rafael lifted the one on his arm, which was dark and bladed, and had green embellishments.

"No thanks," Kyo said, recognizing the Orichalcos.

"I thought not." Rafael chuckled, as if the answer amused him. "But you _will_ want this." He lifted a biker's helmet.

"Where are we going?" Kyo asked.

"I'll explain on the way. You got everything you need?"

"I hope so. What would I need?" She asked, swinging the pack around so she could put the dueldisk in it.

"Actually, go ahead and strap that on." Rafael said quickly, and she stopped. "Lord Dartz will take care of the essentials. All you gotta make sure you have is your deck. You got that, you're good to go."

She nodded. "Of course." She swung her pack back onto her shoulder and slid the dueldisk up her arm. She clicked the button, and it tightened around her wrist, fastening in place.

"Then let's get moving. We've got a lot of ground to cover." Rafael said, turning back to Seto. "Like I said, I don't know when we'll be back. But we'll keep you updated."

"Hmph." Seto folded his arms.

Kyo looked back at Kisara, who was watching with tears in her eyes. "I'll be back soon, I promise." She said quietly.

Kisara gave her a hug. "Be careful." She repeated.

"I will." Kyo nodded, patting her on the shoulder. "Hang in there, 'kay?"

She nodded back.

Kyo turned and followed Rafael to the door. She paused and looked up at Seto, and their eyes met.

He didn't say anything, and she found she didn't have anything to say, herself. She settled for giving him a respectful nod, and saw an acknowledging glint in his eyes. She blinked, then turned and headed out after Rafael into the sunshine.

* * *

[All right. Can you hear me?]

Kyo started in surprise. _The helmets have speakers?_ It made sense; the rushing wind made it almost impossible to hear anything else. "Yes, I can hear you," She said, then wondered belatedly if there was anything she was supposed to do to be heard herself.

[Good. So, you know there are three pieces of the Phantom running around, and that one of them's got Slifer. Master Dartz has Ra tucked away, and the Orichalcos can fight off the Phantom's power, so that one's not in danger. Obelisk is a little more at risk, but Kaiba is stubborn; he won't give it up easily.] Rafael summed up.

"Right." Kyo nodded.

[Well, we wanna be a little more proactive than waiting around for the Phantom to find us. In its current state, it can do some pretty hefty damage, but not nearly as much as it could if it has a host.]

He paused as they switched lanes.

[Master Dartz is keeping track of the pieces. They've narrowed down on Japan, probably drawn here by the power of the Egyptian Gods.]

"Can two pieces possess the same host?" Kyo asked, wondering if they'd all try to take over Slifer.

[Honestly, we don't know. There's very little we do know about this thing.] Rafael said. [But Master Dartz is doing his best to keep them separate, just in case. Our job is to see if we can get Slifer sealed up to keep him from making a mess, if you know what I mean.]

"You said there were other people helping with this." Kyo remembered. "Are they going to help?"

[Aside from Wheeler, myself, and Master Dartz, we don't have anyone who's strong enough to go toe to toe with these things.] Rafael said. [The others basically serve as conduits for Master Dartz, so he can project himself wherever he needs to be to fight the Phantom. Mostly what they're doing right now is keeping up a perimeter for him.]

"And Mr. Wheeler?"

[He's tracking one of the other pieces out over the Pacific.]

She blinked. "How is he doing that?" She asked.

Rafael glanced back briefly. [Take a guess.]

She stared at him. "Can he summon a Duel Monster?"

[Yeah. He's got Red-Eyes. And with him taking care of that piece, and Master Dartz distracting the other piece, the field's clear for us to take out Slifer. Hope you're up to it.]

"I'll do my best." Kyo nodded. _Mahad?_ She looked up, and he materialized beside them. He took in the situation and shifted position so he was flying next to them.

Suddenly awkward, she faltered. _Er, how's it going?_

He glanced over at her. _"I am well, Milady."_ He said quietly. Their communication didn't require sound, so the wind in her ears didn't interfere at all.

[I wouldn't recommend summoning your magician here.] Rafael interrupted. [Most people can't see them, but if someone did, we don't want to alarm them.]

"Oh." Kyo hesitated.

 _"I will hide my presence, if you wish."_ Mahad suggested.

She looked back. _Wait, you can do that?_

He gave her a faint smirk. _"A simple matter, Milady."_ He said dryly, and he became slightly more transparent.

 _Right. Magician. Sorry,_ She blushed and looked back at the road for a moment. _Okay. Um, how… how much do you know about everything that's happening? Can I share memories with you, or do I have to tell you everything?_

He flew closer and flipped onto his back to gaze up at her. _"I am aware of all I have seen."_ He said presently. _"I could look into your mind, but a servant should not have such access."_

 _You're not a servant, Mahad._ She said firmly. _You're a friend._ But suddenly, the idea didn't seem so appealing. What exactly would he see? Was there anything that she'd rather keep private? _How would memory-sharing work? Can I pick and choose, or would you see everything?_

He didn't answer immediately. _"You would focus on which memory you wished me to see. If you were to picture it in your mind, and I would see it with you."_ He sat up, lifting a hand. _"Are you sure, Milady?"_

She thought about it, but her decision didn't change. _I'm sure._ She replied. It would be so much faster that way, and he would be able to know what she knew with as little bias as possible. And if she wanted his advice…

 _"Then focus, Milady."_ He laid his hand against her cheek, reaching right through her helmet.

She didn't feel any physical sensation, but his presence grew stronger… or rather, closer. Her eyelids fluttered, and the roar of the wind faded into the background. She could see the cars rushing past, the clouds overhead, and Rafael's broad back. And Mahad, sitting there as if on an invisible bench next to her, his lavender eyes fixed on hers, his hand against her cheek.

 _Focus._ She reminded herself, blushing a little. _I have to think…_ She closed her eyes. _Think. Where did this start?_ She reached back to when she'd first met Rafael in the bank, not wanting to leave anything out. Then she recalled Yugi's letter, and how it had described the threat.

 _Then we met Rafael at Kaibaland,_ She remembered. Mahad had been there for most of that, but she still shared what her perspective of Atlantis had been. Then the battle last night, while he'd had trouble, and finally, the motorcycle ride.

The memories passed before her eyes, and she could feel him watching beside her. It got easier as they went; more like telling a story to a friend, and less like… something else.

 _"I see."_ Mahad lifted his hand from her face.

 _So,_ She quickly picked up where she'd left off. _It sounds like Rafael and I are going to take on Slifer together. That will be a relief; at least I won't be doing this on my own._

 _"You are not alone."_ He reminded her with a faint reproach.

 _I meant–_ She stopped. _I meant we'll be working together to take down Slifer, so that Dartz can seal him away and try to get the Phantom out._ She looked up. _Do you think you'll be powerful enough to resist the chaos this time?_

 _"Of course, Lady Kyo."_ He said with confidence. _"I will not fail you this time."_

 _Okay._ She shifted. She hadn't expected so strong an answer from him, but if he really was confident about this, then she'd trust him. He had gotten a major power boost, after all. Maybe he really could.

[Actually, that reminds me.] Rafael said suddenly as they headed down a back road. [You should probably look at replacing your Dark Magician. Dark monsters seem to be particularly vulnerable to the chaos magic these things possess.]

"Well," Kyo returned dryly. "Funny thing about that. We were actually just discussing that last night after the battle." She glanced over at Mahad, who nodded back. "Mahad had another portion of power that he had locked away because he was too strong. So we went to unlock it, and in the process, his card changed. It's now a light monster called 'Palladium Oracle Mahad'."

[Huh. That's convenient.] Rafael muttered. [All right then, guess you're ahead of the game.] He paused, then added, [The Orichalcos will keep Slifer contained, and will impose some law and order on the chaos. It might actually feel a bit like dueling.]

Kyo blinked. "Will it be like last night?" She asked.

[Sort of. That wasn't ideal.] Rafael said. [You'll want to support your monster with other monsters. Spells are tricky; you'll want to leave that up to your magician. And traps are even trickier. Unless you have a knack for them, they tend to backfire.]

"Got it." Kyo nodded.

[Really can't tell you much more, though.] Rafael shrugged. [Teaching's not my strong suit. But my guardians and I will keep an eye on you. And if you're anything like the Pharaoh, you'll pick things up quick enough on your own. Just trust your deck; if you've built it right, it'll come through for you.]

She nodded again. _Again with trusting the deck._ She looked down. _But I developed it for playing the game. Will that be enough?_

[Should be another hour or so.]

"I've been meaning to ask you something." Kyo added. "Doesn't Lord Dartz control time? Can't he, I dunno, zap us there?"

[Time's a tricky thing. He can't do it for long, and he usually has to put the hook in before he needs it.] Rafael said. [That, and he can't alter someone's destiny that way. He could do it with you, because the worst that would happen is Kaiba would be pissed… and he's always pissed.]

Kyo snorted.

[Things like this are a lot more dangerous to mess with. Better if we handle things on our own. I'd rather not get sucked into a time vortex, if it's all the same to you.]

"Fair enough."


	21. Setting Ground Rules

Author's Note: Two chapters for Christmas!

* * *

As the road petered out, Rafael pulled over and parked. Kyo hopped off stiffly, stretching with no small amount of relief.

Rafael removed his helmet, and Eatos appeared beside him. "It's a bit further, but the bike isn't the best way to get there."

Kyo looked up at Mahad, who faded back into view.

Rafael blinked. "Is that your new spirit?"

Kyo smiled. "Mahad, High Priest of the Pharaoh, and the greatest magician the world has ever seen." She said proudly.

"Fancy title." Rafael returned dryly. "Let's see if he lives up to it." He turned and gestured. "Master Dartz says Slifer's just around the bend here. His conduits have been keeping Slifer in this general area for us; now it's up to us to face him."

Kyo squared her shoulders. "I'm ready."

"Then let's go." Rafael gestured. "Let me and Eatos get Slifer's attention first. Once we've got him close to ground, we'll play the Seal; from there, it's just a matter of taking Slifer down." He drew a card. "Once he's down, he'll be sealed in this, and we'll take him back to Master Dartz."

Kyo shivered, eyeing the card with great dislike.

"Don't worry," Rafael said, noticing her expression. "If all goes well, you won't have to play it, and my guardians can keep me pure." He looked up at Eatos, his expression apologetic. "It's not the card I'd want to play either. But it's the only way to fight this Phantom, and if we don't, it'll destroy us all."

Kyo nodded. "Then the sooner we get this done, the better, right?"

He nodded. "Right. Let's go." He spread his arms, and Eatos picked him up, taking flight.

Kyo looked up, and Mahad scooped her up as well, taking off after Eatos.

It wasn't more than a few seconds before she started to sense the same chaos from last night. As if she had passed through some shield, suddenly the presence was obvious; a writhing, twisted energy that snaked through the air.

As they passed over a gorge, they saw it – Slifer, mutated and corrupt, erupted from the ground below, narrowly missing Rafael and Eatos.

Kyo felt a sense of vertigo as she looked up at it. The sensation was trying to place Slifer at the bottom of the gorge, yet it was floating above them. She shook her head, feeling dizzy. _Wait, is it? Is this an illusion?_

 _"You are correct, Milady,"_ Mahad said. _"You may borrow my senses to see."_

The distortions grew stronger, but with it she could see that they were fake. Distractions, emanating from another source.

"On your left!" Kyo shouted.

Rafael looked up, and Eatos dodged in the nick of time to avoid getting impaled.

Slifer roared, and a wave of chaos shot across the field. Mahad grunted, but he stayed airborne this time. With some effort, he lifted his staff, and a golden bubble appeared around them – and it became easy to breathe again.

Kyo looked out at the creature as it started to fracture. The light shifted and refracted, causing a bizarre, mismatched spectrum to color the sky. The ground warped beneath them, and the whole world seemed to retch as if sick.

Then it got worse.

Green light shot across the sky, imprisoning them all within its evil power. Kyo gasped, her grip tightening on Mahad's arm, and he braced himself against the malevolent thrum.

 _Damn…_ She grimaced. _I hate that._

 _"I have no love for the Orichalcos either, Milady."_ Mahad agreed. _"But it seems to be the only way to impose order on the Phantom's chaos."_

 _I know. I just wish there was some other way._ Kyo grimaced. _Okay. You should probably put me down now. I'll summon my two Magician's Valkyria to protect me, leaving you free to help Rafael and Eatos._

 _"I understand."_ Mahad inclined his head, but he seemed reluctant to land. And, given how torn up the earth was, and how it trembled in Slifer's presence, Kyo didn't blame him.

 _On second thought, I'll summon them now._ She decided, drawing the cards from her deck. "Magician's Valkyria!"

Summoning Mahad was second nature to her. Summoning Kuriboh hadn't even registered. But summoning two monsters she wasn't familiar with simultaneously _did_ get her attention.

 _Whoa. Okay._ She shook her head to clear it, feeling briefly dizzy.

 _"Lady Kyo!"_ Mahad started, concerned.

"I'm okay," She replied quickly. "Just caught me by surprise." She looked down at the two Valkyria that had appeared below them. "Let me down; they'll take care of me."

He hesitated, but nodded. _"As you wish, Milady."_ He flew down as they flew up, and they took Kyo between them. _"Keep her safe."_ He said.

They nodded back.

He didn't leave right away. He looked from one to the other, then looked down at Kyo. Finally, he placed his hand over his heart and bowed. _"I will return soon, Milady."_

She nodded back. "Good luck."

He took off, flying over to join Eatos. It looked like Rafael had done the same thing she had – he was now being carried by a white ghost-like monster. But he was still lit by that evil light, and Eatos looked like a fallen angel gripping her black sword.

 _There's got to be another way to handle this._ Kyo thought.

Mahad tried to fly up beside Eatos, but she shoved him away ill-temperedly and flew up, lifting her sword towards the sky. He grimaced and started to move.

"Mahad!" Kyo called, suddenly worried.

He paused and darted back as Slifer dived down after him. He whipped up his staff, lifting two fingers, and a blast of his own power shot across the field.

Kyo's eyes widened as it reached her and her Valkyria. There was a tinkling, haunting sensation – one that put her in mind of endless sand and long-forgotten ruins. Slifer snarled and stopped in his tracks, shaking his head in an attempt to clear it.

"Mahad!" Kyo shouted again, but he didn't take his eyes off Slifer. "Above you!"

He looked up and started, dodging out of the way in the nick of time. Eatos's attack blazed past him, a warped, harsh white light, poisoned by the Orichalcos.

 _There's got to be another way!_ Kyo thought. _Eatos isn't thinking clearly, and Rafael's not paying attention to the friendly fire._

 _I guess that's why they don't fight these things in teams._ She mused. _Isn't there anything I can do to help?_

Slifer snarled in outrage as the blast struck, and slithered across the ground, powering up.

Mahad shot back around, flying up beside Eatos, but she ignored him. She raised her sword, but she was taking a big risk; Slifer was about to attack, and she wouldn't be able to move while she was charging up.

"Protect her, Mahad!" Kyo called. _If Slifer destroys Eatos, that could take out Rafael!_

The magician looked disgruntled, but threw up a barrier as Slifer let loose. The impact of the blast sent powerful tremors through the air, and Kyo felt the pain in her chest – even with the shield, Mahad had taken quite a bit of damage in his effort to protect Eatos.

 _Damn! There has to be another way!_ Kyo thought, clutching her chest. _Come on, think!_

Eatos let out a battlecry, and again, Mahad was forced to dodge the friendly fire again. This time, as the attack struck true, he flew up and shunted her with an annoyed growl. She sneered back and lifted her sword anyway.

Slifer shot up, and Mahad intervened again. Irritated, Slifer altered course, pursuing Mahad across the sky with a blast of chaotic fire. Eatos seemed content to just charge her attack, completely ignoring his predicament.

 _No! What can I do?!_ Kyo looked over at Rafael, but he seemed to be off in the same la-la land that Eatos was in. She looked down at her deck. _I can't summon any of my heavy hitters. I can summon Mahad because we have a connection, but summoning the Valkyria was a lot harder than I was expecting. I can't risk summoning anything stronger just yet._

 _My spells are mostly focused on bringing Dark Magician to the field, but I don't have one now that Mahad's already in play. And even if I could summon another Dark Magician, it wouldn't do me any good, because Slifer's power corrupts all dark creatures… plus, that's the majority of my deck._

Slifer opened his double mouth, and she knew her time had run out.

"Go, Magic Cylinder!" She shouted.

 _"No!"_ Mahad exclaimed in consternation. _"You can't redirect this!"_

But it was too late; the cylinders had appeared between them, and Slifer fired. Kyo felt the full impact of the blast as it hit her trap, and black patches interspersed with stars burst across her vision. _Holy crap!_ She thought as the power ripped through her soul.

She was supposed to be doing something, but the pain was overwhelming, and had completely derailed her. She could barely stay conscious.

The cylinder was turning.

 _What's that…?_ She blinked through the haze of pain. _What…_

She was losing cohesion.

 _[Traps are even trickier. Unless you have a knack for them, they tend to backfire.]_

 _Backfire._ She thought. _It's going to hit me._

 _It's going to hit me!_

She gasped, forcing her way back through the darkness, and realized she was down a Valkyria; she must have lost it when Slifer hit. _No time for that now. Redirect the attack!_ She focused her attention on the cylinder.

It was like pushing a mountain. She just didn't have the strength. _Come on!_ Sweat beaded on her brow. She didn't have to turn it on Slifer; she didn't have to turn it much at all. Just enough so it wasn't pointing at her.

 _NOW!_ She thought. "Up!" She commanded, and the Valkyria leapt skyward as Slifer's blast shot below them.

The impact sent shockwaves through the air, and Kyo felt another bout of fatigue. She was barely holding on.

 _At least… Mahad and Eatos are still…_ She squinted up to see Mahad dithering. Eatos was striking Slifer again, and the twisted god was lashing out with its wings and tail. "What are you…" But she couldn't finish. Her voice faded, and she slumped, completely dazed.

 _Okay. Bad idea…_ She thought. "Tell…" She looked up. "Tell him to… keep fighting!" She managed.

The Valkyria nodded and looked up. _"Continue your attack, Mahad!"_ She called. _"Take him down!"_

His eyes narrowed at the Valkyria's command, but he seemed to gather that it was Kyo's. He turned back to the fight.

 _"Perhaps Magical Hats next time?"_ Valkyria suggested. _"Not many can redirect the attack of a god monster."_

"I… gathered that." Kyo muttered, blinking through the haze. _But I wouldn't have had to in the first place if Rafael and Eatos hadn't been distracted by that stupid Seal of Orichalcos!_ She thought, looking over at Rafael. He didn't even seem to notice that she had nearly been wiped out; all his attention was on Eatos.

 _There has to be another way._ Kyo looked back up as the monsters traded blows. Mahad was flagging; the combination of blocking an attack from Slifer and the weakening of his summoner seemed to be taking its toll. And though he had saved Eatos several times now, she didn't seem bothered to return the favor.

"We… have to…" Kyo felt dizzy and lifted a hand to her face. "Put a stop to this…"

 _"Please, do not strain yourself further."_ Valkyria said in concern. _"My sister was dismissed, and I am barely here myself. If I were to be dismissed as well…"_

"Yeah. I know." Kyo looked up. "But we can't just…" She huffed and hoisted herself up a little. _The Seal's only going to make things worse. It just divides us, and none of us are strong enough on our own to take on an Egyptian God._

She looked down at her deck. _There's nothing in my deck that could help. And after that bout, I doubt I could've done anything useful anyway._

She looked back up as Slifer chomped mere inches from Eatos's tailfeathers. Mahad slammed his staff down as Eatos shot past, catching the twisted god in the eye and causing it to give an almighty bellow of pain and outrage.

Rafael was still out of it.

 _I have to do something._ Kyo straightened. _Even if it's not in my deck, maybe…_

Slifer whipped around, powering up, and Mahad braced himself. Eatos watched with a smirk on her face. Slifer eyed the two of them, then switched targets; Eatos's impudence seemed to be more irritating than Mahad's flagging strength.

Eatos twitched and darted out of the way.

"No! RAFAEL!" Kyo shouted in consternation.

Eatos's eyes widened, and she whipped around, a horrified look on her face as Slifer's attack launched. Mahad was closer; he darted back into the path of the attack, whipping up a shield.

"MAHAD!" She screamed, then gasped as she felt the bolt of sympathetic pain. He couldn't take another hit, and it was all she could do to keep her remaining Valkyria in play.

Slifer was powering up again.

 _No…!_ Her arms trembled with the effort of pulling herself up.

 _"Mistress!"_ Valkyria gasped in concern.

Mahad was drifting. He huffed and brought his staff to bear, the tip gleaming as he tried to cast a spell.

But he was losing cohesion; he wouldn't recover in time.

"Dimensionhole!" She shouted, right before Slifer snapped his jaws over where Mahad had been.

Slifer snarled in denied fury and spun around to glare at her.

 _"…Mistress?"_ Valkyria queried nervously.

"Hang on–" Kyo reached for her deck.

"Kyo! NO!" Rafael shouted. It sounded like he'd finally woken up. But Eatos was too far away. She was coming, but Slifer was much closer – the twisted god's double mouth was threatening to swallow Kyo and her Valkyria in one massive gulp.

 _Darkness descended upon him. Everything he ever cared about was lying in ruins, but he could still save them. It was a forbidden spell, but there was no other choice. Besides, if he pulled it off…_

 _He was the only one who would suffer._

 _"Spirit Seal of Stone and Gold!"_

The words ripped themselves from her throat, and she threw her arms out as Valkyria vanished. Her scarab charm broke off and flew up between her and Slifer, and she lifted her hand, reaching towards it. "By all the sands of Egypt and all the power of my soul, I swear, you will _not_ succeed here!" She shouted, seeing an overlay of two different worlds colliding – of herself as a pharaoh.

Slifer bellowed, but he couldn't get past her scarab. He fired a blast, and chaos warped all she could see.

"I am the servant of Ma'at." She returned disdainfully. "You must play by the rules, Phantom."

The effect of Dimensionhole had worn off, and she could sense Mahad reconnect. She glanced up briefly, but ignored his horrified expression. She couldn't afford to be distracted now.

She could seal the Phantom indefinitely, but that would require being sealed with it, and did not guarantee it would be stopped. Nor would it stop the other two pieces. She could seal it in stone, which would wear down over time; it could break free.

 _I have a better idea, though._ She drew a card from her pocket. "Speaking of rules, Phantom," She said, "There's a little game we like to play on Earth. It's called Duel Monsters." She lifted the card. "You're currently residing in the body of a beast who follows those rules… which means you now obey them as well."

 _"Lady Kyo, what are you doing?!"_ Mahad exclaimed, flying forward, but there was an orb of power that seemed to be what was holding her up, and he couldn't get close.

Slifer roared, and the strongest pulse of chaos yet erupted from him – but it couldn't touch her either.

She glared back. "So I propose a wager, Phantom." She flicked the card around to show the onlookers the blank Slifer card the Phantom had left behind. "Defeat me, and you will break the seal. But if I win, you will be banished from Slifer's body."

 _"No, Milady, please!"_ Mahad begged. _"Don't do this!"_

She ignored him. "As per the rules, you can't face me with just one card, and Slifer's not exactly easy to summon. So you'll need a full deck… and someone willing to play you." She drew a second card. "And with Chain Effect, not only will you be subject to these rules, but so will your counterparts." She threw the two cards out, then spread her arms. "Go, Spirit Seal of Stone and Gold!"

 _"NO! PHARAOH!"_

Golden light flowed from her chest to the scarab. As the light intensified, it spread out, flipping around to encircle the twisted god. Slifer's roar cracked like thunder directly overhead, but he couldn't escape the net. Two additional beams shot out from her Chain Effect card, passing right through the evil light of the Orichalcos and across the sky, vanishing.

"BE SEALED!" She shouted.

Then, to her great relief, Slifer was drawn back into his card. Slowly at first, but inexorably, he was sucked in, unable to resist or break free. And with a sudden rush, he was drawn in.

The card vanished, and she started. _Wait, where did it go?_

The orb had faded, so Mahad flew to her side, but a moment later, the scarab flew back to her and struck her in the chest. A new net appeared, wrapping up and around her, and she jumped in shock.

 _That's right. Part of the deal is I get sealed too._ She felt the lines of power twisting around her, digging through her skin and into her very soul.

 _"No, Lady Kyo!"_ Mahad's voice was filled with devastation, and she looked up. As their eyes met, she suddenly saw him in another time… and realized he was watching this happen twice, too.

"I'm sorry, Mahad." She managed weakly. "At least this way, we have a chance."

It was pulling her in – dragging her soul into the scarab. The last thing she felt was his arms catching her as she started to fall.


	22. Consequences

Author's Note: Two chapters for Christmas!

* * *

 _Where am I?_

Her eyes slid open, and she looked up. She was in what looked like a labyrinth, filled with stairs and passages, doors and empty space. It wasn't just any labyrinth, though; gravity seemed subject to whatever surface was nearby. There were doors in the floor, and stairs upside-down, the sky filled with corridors and passageways, casting a sensation of vertigo through her mind.

 _Mahad?_

There was no answer, and she felt a flicker of worry, followed by a wave of guilt.

 _I didn't trust him._ She thought. _And I put him through that again. Whatever I did, maybe…_ She bowed her head. _Maybe he's finally given up on me._

It didn't feel quite as bad as she was thinking; rather, it was as if she had been expecting this. After all, what was she? She might have the spirit of his friend and pharaoh, but she wasn't him. She wasn't the person he really cared about. It wasn't her he was staring at when he looked at her. It wasn't her he was making all his promises to.

Maybe he'd finally realized it.

She sighed and hugged her knees. _Guess I'll have to pick a different monster._ She thought. _Maybe I should go with Endymion. Or Silent Magician._

She looked down at the hourglass that was still hanging from her neck. _I should probably give this back, at the very least._

She got to her feet and looked around. _…of course, the first thing would be seeing if I can get out of here… wherever 'here' is…_

Even as she thought it, though, she felt a sensation and turned to see a door a few feet away. It was identical to the other doors, but somehow, she knew it was the way out.

 _Well, at least that was easy…_ She walked over and opened it.

* * *

A familiar room greeted her eyes, and she sat up to find herself back on the altar in the Atlantean temple. She was alone for the moment, so she got to her feet and took stock.

 _Well, I'm still here._ She noted, gazing at her hands. _So how exactly was I sealed?_ She touched the scarab at her neck, feeling the smooth gold surface.

 _Mahad?_ She called, but he still didn't answer. "Mahad?" She repeated aloud, but there was no response.

 _I have your hourglass…_ She started down the steps and across the stone floor, looking around at the carvings. _Are all these carvings souls captured by the Orichalcos?_ She frowned. There was an awful lot of them, though admittedly there were far more squares that were empty.

She wandered over to one of the exits and poked her head through. There was a passage that led to several rooms, lit with braziers. Every inch of the walls and floor was covered with squares.

"Just how big is this place?" She muttered to herself. "And how many souls can it hold?"

"Millions."

She jumped and spun to see Dartz standing behind her. "Where did you come from?" She asked, startled.

He gave her a mysterious smile. "This is my realm, child." He said, spreading his arms. "I come and go as I please. The more important issue, however," He added in a more serious tone as he set a hand on his waist. "Is what you have done."

Kyo twitched, feeling guilty again. "What happened?"

"You nearly ruined everything, that's what happened."

She looked around to see Rafael coming over, his expression dark. And yet, without the light of the Orichalcos tinting his countenance, he wasn't quite as frightening.

"The situation is _salvageable_ , Rafael." Dartz said, almost as if he'd said this before. "She took a gamble, and now we are on a more even playing field."

"Do you have any idea what you did?" Rafael directed at Kyo.

She shifted. "Well, I…"

"No, you don't. You didn't plan this. You had no idea if this would have worked or not. And you very nearly lost your soul." Rafael growled.

Her fists clenched. "The Orichalcos was twisting your mind, Rafael! I had to do something!"

"Enough." Dartz interceded as Rafael bristled. "What's done is done. It could have been much worse."

"So what _did_ happen?" Kyo asked, looking up at him. "I remember parts of it, but I don't really understand what I… what happened."

Dartz turned and started walking back through the temple. "When faced with the Phantom directly, it seems memories of your previous life surfaced, allowing you to perform the same spell of sealing that the Pharaoh used to seal the evil that once threatened his realm." He explained as they followed. "This spell gave you the ability to seal the evil you faced, at the cost of sealing your own soul in the process."

"About that," Kyo frowned. "How am I still… here? I thought it would seal me… in a prison or something,"

"Your soul is sealed." Dartz said, looking back. "Within the scarab charm I gave you."

She looked down at it in surprise. "In this? How?"

"You are now a spirit, no longer tied to a body." Dartz said, stopping and turning. "You are able to possess that body due to the fact that it is wearing the vessel of your soul. If you were to lose it, you would lose possession of that body." He gestured. "And as long as the spell is in effect, you cannot move on to the Afterlife; you are trapped here until the conditions of your spell are met."

"What are they?" She asked nervously.

"You said them yourself." He said quietly. "The Phantom must defeat you in a duel in order to break the seal, at which point your soul will be shattered… and likely devoured. If you defeat the Phantom, you will be restored and it will be banished."

 _Okay._ She shifted uneasily. _So…_

 _Now the Phantom's going to do everything it can to defeat me. And with Slifer on its side…_

 _Damn. This is bad._

"You realize it yet?" Rafael growled. "Now all three of the pieces of the Phantom are going to hunt you down. There's no way we'll be able to keep them from merging. And with Slifer, they've got a powerful vessel to merge in. At that point, the Phantom will be back at full power, and it'll probably just break your seal. You'll be shattered, and we'll be stuck with a Phantom Egyptian God."

"We'll see." Dartz said before she could respond. "The pieces do not appear to be converging."

"And how long do you think that'll last?" Rafael returned.

There was a roar, and they all whirled.

 _Crap–_ Kyo stiffened.

The dragon that flew in was black, though, and on its back was a man who looked almost identical to Sirius, just older. "Howdy, folks!" He called good-naturedly, hopping off the dragon and patting its scales. "Thanks, Red-Eyes. Take a break."

It vanished.

"Welcome back, Joseph." Dartz inclined his head.

"'Bout dat," Joey turned. "What's up? One minute I was fightin' the Phantom, an' the next this weird gold light comes outta nowhere an' zaps it, an' all of a sudden it comes racing back ta land!"

"We were just discussing it." Dartz said. "I believe you know Kyo Moto?"

"Hey, Kyo!" Joey started, then ran over, a big grin on his face. "How's it goin', kid? Hope Rich-Boy's not too hard ta live with," He paused. "Wait a sec, what're you doin' here, anyway? Ain't you supposed ta be back in Domino? What gives?"

"She has been helping us." Dartz explained. "In fact, she is the reason the Phantom took a sudden turn."

Joey blinked and straightened. "Wanna fill me in?"

"She used a powerful spell to seal the Phantom's powers, forcing it to… play by the rules, so to speak." Dartz said, skipping the rest. "Now, the Phantom must defeat her in a duel in order to break the seal and continue its rampage."

"What're you sayin', Dartz?" Joey frowned, confused. "Dat the Phantom's gonna play cards?"

"Yes." Dartz nodded. "Which means that if we can overcome the Phantom in these duels, we can drive the Phantom from Slifer and defeat it."

Joey's eyes widened. "You kiddin' me? For real?"

Dartz smiled.

"At the cost of her soul," Rafael grunted as Joey punched the air in triumph.

He skidded to a halt. "WHAT?!" He whipped back around. "Kyo, kid, tell me dat ain't true! You _are_ still in there, right?" He added, reaching out to grab her shoulder and shake it as if he might be able to hear her soul rattling around in her.

"I'm still here." She said quickly, ducking. "My soul's in here." She touched the scarab. "As long as it's attached, I can still possess my body."

Joey squinted at it. "Is dat a Millennium Item? Didn' we get rid of those?"

"It is a charm I crafted for her when we brought her on board." Dartz said. "She has a lot of power, and I gave her this scarab to help her channel her powers and use them properly. Rather fortuitous, I think, as without it she would not have been able to seal the Phantom in the first place."

"But is she stuck in it forever?" Joey asked. "Like the Pharaoh? I mean, not dat she'd wanna die, but she's not stuck here, right? Right?"

"If I defeat the Phantom, I'll be free." Kyo said. "So for now, my fate is tied to the fate of the Phantom."

Joey mused for a moment. "Hm. Not sure I would'a done dat myself." He folded his arms. "An' somehow, I get the feelin' dat dis wasn' what Yuge would'a wanted for his daughter."

Kyo huffed. "I had to do something." She said, but she stopped. Technically, if Rafael and Eatos hadn't been so careless, she might not have had to. But she had already been wanting something like this to happen, from the very first moment Rafael had played the Seal. So, she wouldn't blame him for her decision; if it hadn't been this fight, it would have been the next.

"Can you break it some other way?" Joey asked cautiously. "I mean, sure, I hate playin' the Seal, but we _were_ gettin' along just fine."

"I'm afraid not." Dartz shook his head. "What's done is done; we must make the most of it." He turned. "Now, Kyo, I think you may have noticed that Mahad is not around."

Kyo blinked and looked up, startled. "What?"

Dartz raised an eyebrow. "You haven't tried to summon him?" He queried, mildly surprised.

"I did, but he's not answering." She admitted uncomfortably. "How did you know?"

"This is what happens when you decide to mess around with powers you don't understand." Rafael growled. "You sealed the Phantom, and it left. Then you sealed your own soul. But we were still inside the Seal of Orichalcos – which meant you were the loser."

Joey gave a start. "What? But how's she still standin'? Wouldn' the Seal 'ave taken her soul? Or was it protected by her charm?"

"The Seal encircled her." Rafael said. "But it was Mahad who paid the price. He traded his soul for yours."

Kyo's eyes widened, and she covered her mouth.

"Yeah. Your precious magician sacrificed himself to save you." Rafael's eyes narrowed. "You just better bless your lucky stars that _we're_ the ones in control of the Orichalcos."

"Where is he?" Kyo asked, spinning around to look at the walls, but then she stopped. _He gave his life for me. But I'm not…_

Dartz lifted a hand.

She felt his presence return, and looked down at the deck pouch on her waist. She flicked it open and pulled his card out.

"What's dat?" Joey asked. "Hey, is dat… Mahad?" He skimmed the text. "Hang on!" He yelped. "How's _dat_ fair?!"

Kyo bit her lip. _He gave his_ soul _for me._

She put him back. _I'm sorry._

"Now that the Phantom is restricted to playing Duel Monsters to defeat you," Dartz continued, "You had best prepare. Thanks to your spell, you will know if you are dueling a piece of the Phantom, but you must still be on your guard. It will be more determined than ever to find vessels, and you are the key to its freedom."

"Hey." Joey turned. "Isn' there anything we can do? She hasn' made it so only she can defeat dem, right?"

"If you continue to use the Seal of Orichalcos," Dartz said, "You will still be able to seal the Phantom, but you must duel and win; you cannot fight them as you have been."

"Dat's no problem." Joey said, clenching his fist. "Joey Wheeler's not da top-ranked duelist for nothin', y'know. I'll duel circles around dose ghost-freaks!"

Kyo raised an eyebrow.

Dartz gave him a wry smile. "I admire your enthusiasm, Joseph." He turned. "In the meantime, I think it would be best if you returned to the Kaiba Mansion, Kyo. You are as safe there as here; the Phantom will find you regardless of where you are, and you can at least prepare where you have a… home-field advantage."

Kyo blinked. "I'm going back?"

"For now." Dartz inclined his head and raised his hand. "This is enough excitement for one day, I think."

She started. "But I have questions,"

He laughed. "Of course you do. But the answers will have to wait."

Then it was all gone, and she was standing on the path leading to the front door of Kaiba Mansion.


	23. As the Dust Settles

"No!"

"Hah! An' with dat, Red-Eyes wipes out the last of your life points! I win!"

Somehow, she hadn't pictured going back to school, not with everything that had happened. It felt like she should have been… somewhere else, fighting evil. Not… watching Sirius cream the millionth unlucky duelist.

"Hey, don't worry. At least I ain't takin' your cards, huh?" Sirius laughed as he started cleaning up his desk.

"Your deck's _impossible_ to beat!" The kid complained.

"Hmph. I wish." Sirius muttered, shooting a glance at Kyo. "Although, I'd love ta duel you, Kyo. Everyone knows about yer deal with Kaiba, an' I'm itchin' ta see how I compare now dat he's been takin' ya cards."

Kyo gazed at him for a moment, then looked back at the blackboard in a clear and silent denial. She wasn't interested in dueling anyone; after everything that had happened, it seemed so _trivial_ to play here. She had enough cards to last her nearly a month, though she had no intention of coasting; she'd duel at Kaibaland, where the competition and the cards were much better. But playing here…

 _Are you sure it's not something else?_ A small voice whispered in the back of her head, and she dropped her gaze.

"Come on, just a quickie?" Sirius begged. "At least tell me yer star monster ain't Kuriboh no more."

She didn't answer.

"Yo. Earth ta Kyo!" He waved his hand in front of her eyes.

"Leave her alone!" Kisara snapped.

Everyone looked up.

"Can't you see she's not interested?" Kisara growled. "Back off, Wheeler!"

Sirius looked stunned. Most people in the room looked taken aback by the shy girl's sudden outburst. Kyo felt a flicker of shame, but for some reason, she didn't want to speak. It was just too hard.

Because it had nothing to do with the 'trivial' setting.

Her hand closed over the hourglass. She hadn't summoned Mahad since she had arrived back home. She didn't want to face the aftermath of what she'd done; she didn't want to see the disappointment in his eyes. He had sacrificed his soul for her, and she was keenly aware that she didn't deserve his devotion… especially since it wasn't her he was devoted to. It felt like she was cheating somehow… or that she was forcing him to.

 _Why?_ She wondered, fiddling with a dent in her desk. _Why did I reincarnate?_ It wasn't fair that the person Mahad seemed to care about so much had taken himself beyond his reach forever. Not only that, but it was cruel to be dangling the vestiges of his friend in front of him in the form of… her.

 _It's not fair._ She covered her face. _And what's worse, I don't think I thought about this when I did it._

"I summon Maiden with Eyes of Blue in attack mode and set two cards facedown."

Kyo started and looked up. Kisara had her deck out… and so did Sirius.

 _Did I miss something?_

"My move." Sirius drew. "I activate Cards of the Red Stone." He set the card on the mat. "Dis lets me send a Red-Eyes monster from my deck to my graveyard, an' den I get ta draw two cards." He pulled the Red-Eyes Black Dragon out, then shuffled his deck and drew. "Cards of the Red Stone lets me send another Red-Eyes from my deck to my graveyard, so buh-bye, Red-Eyes!"

Kyo turned to watch.

"Den I activate Return of the Dragon Lords!" Sirius declared. "Dat lets me bring a Red-Eyes back from by grave, so say hello to my Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"

Kyo glanced over the field. _What is she doing? Sirius is no pushover…_

"But my turn's still not done. I summon Black Dragon's Chick, but he won't be around for long, because I use my Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon's special ability to summon it from my hand by banishing one dragon type monster from my side of the field, and I choose Black Dragon's Chick." He switched the cards out and set the chick off to the side. "Lastly, I'll use Darkness Metal's special ability to summon a dragon from my graveyard. An' dat lets me bring back my other Red-Eyes!"

Kyo cupped her chin in her hand. He didn't have any piercing effects, which meant he'd soon be facing a creature stronger than his Red-Eyes… unless he had a way to counter it. She tilted her head.

"Now, dis Red-Eyes attacks your Maiden!" Sirius pointed to the first one.

"I activate her special ability," Kisara interrupted, "Which allows me to negate your attack. Maiden is switched to defense mode, and I can summon Blue-Eyes Divine Dragon to the field in attack mode."

"Fine. Now I attack ya Maiden with my other Red-Eyes!"

Kisara moved the card off to her discard pile.

"Next, I'll place these two cards facedown and end my turn." Sirius sat back. "Your move."

She drew, and a faint grimace crossed her face. She tucked the card behind her other cards. "I activate Dragon's Mirror. This lets me fusion summon Divine Dragon of Legend by removing Maiden and Blue-Eyes from play."

 _That must've been Kaibaman._ Kyo thought.

"Then, I'll activate Rider of the Storm Winds, allowing me to equip her to my Legendary Dragon. Now, when my dragon attacks a defense position monster, it inflicts piercing damage, and if it's destroyed, I can destroy Rider of the Storm Winds instead." Kisara explained.

 _She's gotten better._ Kyo mused.

"Then, I activate Burial from a Different Dimension, which lets me send up to three banished monsters back to the graveyard, and I choose Maiden and Blue-Eyes Divine Dragon." She flipped over one of her cards. "And I activate Monster Reborn, which lets me summon Blue-Eyes from my graveyard in attack position."

 _Now she has two dragons on the field._

"Now, Legendary Dragon will attack your Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon!" Kisara declared.

"Slow down there." Sirius flipped through his graveyard. "I activate Return of the Dragon Lords. If I banish it from my graveyard, den my monster's not destroyed."

"You still lose seven hundred life points." Kisara said. "And I will destroy it with my Blue-Eyes Divine Dragon anyway."

Kyo shifted, thinking about her spellcaster deck. She wasn't sure she could have summoned such powerful monsters that fast. She might have gotten Dark Magician on the field, but he wasn't strong enough to face Sirius's Darkness Metal Dragon without a power boost.

"All right, my move." Sirius drew. "I summon the Black Stone of Legend!" He flipped the card he'd drawn. "Den I activate its special ability. I can tribute it to summon a level seven or lower Red-Eyes dragon from my deck, an' I pick Meteor Dragon Red-Eyes Impact!"

 _Dark Renewal would break his chain._ Kyo thought, glancing back and forth across the two sides of the field. _But he has so many options. It was so much easier when all I had to do was wait for him to attack me._

"Next, I'll activate Red-Eyes Spirit, which lets me bring back a Red-Eyes dragon from my graveyard, an' I choose Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon! Then I think I'll activate Dragon's Mirror myself, letting me banish both my Red Eyes Black Dragon an' Meteor Dragon to summon Meteor Black Comet Dragon in attack mode!"

Kyo frowned. _Secret Village of the Spellcasters prevents spells…_

"Den I activate Black Comet's special ability. Dis lets me send one Red-Eyes monster from my hand or deck to inflict half its attack points as damage to ya life points, an' I choose Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon, which means you lose twelve hundred life points!"

 _Now Sirius is in the lead. He has thirty-one hundred life points, and Kisara has twenty-eight. If anyone walks in…_

"Now I activate Tyrant Wing, which I equip to my Black Comet! He's got the same amount of attack points as ya Legendary Dragon of White, but with Tyrant Wing, not only does he get a boost, he can attack twice in one turn!" Sirius grinned. "But before I do dat, I'm gonna use Darkness Metal's special ability ta bring back my Black Flare Dragon in defense mode."

 _Hm. This could turn ugly._ Kyo thought uneasily. _If Kisara loses…_

"Now, my Meteor Black Comet Dragon will attack ya Divine Dragon of Legend and ya Blue-Eyes Divine Dragon!"

"Hang on." Kisara said, flipping over her other card. "I play Photon Current."

Kyo started. _She won._

"What's dat do?" Sirius queried, squinting at it.

"If one of my dragons of light is attacked, they gain the same number of attack points as the attacking monster for this one battle." Kisara said. "So when your Meteor Black Comet Dragon attacks, it's facing a monster that has thirty-five hundred more attack points than it does… which wipes out the rest of your life points."

"Say WAT?" Sirius exclaimed. "How's _dat_ fair? Dat's not a fake card, is it?" He tried to snatch it from her, but she kept it out of his reach. "Hey!"

"Do you want to know why you can't beat us, Sirius?" Kisara growled.

He threw her a venomous look. "Why's dat?"

"Because your deck doesn't mean anything to you." Kisara said coldly. "We've fought for our decks. We've put our hearts into our decks. You haven't put any effort into _your_ deck at all."

"Watch it." Sirius growled back. "You're the last one who should be sayin' anythin' about havin' ta put effort into anything, _Kaiba_!"

"What's going on?"

They all looked up, and Kyo's heart sank. _Teacher._ There was no way Kisara wouldn't get in trouble; no way for Kyo to take the blame.

"Okay, you two," The teacher snapped. "You know the rules! No dueling at school!" He pointed at the door. "Come on. Let's take this to the principal's office."

"Come on, Teach! Dat ain't fair!" Sirius complained loudly.

" _And_ your decks." The teacher added, stretching out his hands. "Both of them. Come on."

Glumly, they gathered up their cards.

"Kisara…" Kyo said quietly.

She glanced back and smiled. "It's okay, Kyo." She said. "I'll be fine."

Kyo watched her go.

 _Guess she doesn't need me anymore._


	24. Wanted

As school came to a close, Kyo hurried up to the principal's office, intending to check on Kisara, but the office was completely empty.

 _Did Mr. Kaiba already pick her up?_ Kyo wondered, feeling let down.

 _Well, they called the wrong people first for me…_ She reminded herself. _And she's his daughter._

 _Guess I'll just… go home._

The walk was long and lonely. Shadows stretched across the sidewalk, and cars wizzed past, leaving gusts of air in their wake to push the trash across the street.

She didn't run into anyone at the mansion, either. She could hear them, so it wasn't like there was a conspicuous absence, but she didn't really want to talk to anyone anyway. Whenever she heard someone coming, she dodged around a corner or into an empty room to let them pass.

Her room hadn't changed, but she couldn't stand the sight of it anymore. She had lived here for the past six years, waiting and hoping for parents who would never return. All that time seemed… wasted, somehow. What was the point?

She changed out of her school uniform, pulling on her black tank top and the long black skirt with gold patterns. She went to the mirror as she pulled on her matching gloves, and stared at herself.

 _There's no point._

She looked down at the hourglass. _I really should return this._ She thought. But the idea of facing Mahad wasn't appealing, either.

She grabbed her deck and left the room.

"Kyo?"

She ducked out of sight in the nick of time. Kisara was coming to her door.

"Hey, Kyo? You there?" She called, knocking on the door. "Kyo?"

Briefly, she wondered if she should speak up. But she wasn't sure she could handle hearing Kisara crow about her duel with Sirius right now. She ought to be supportive. She ought to be pleased. She ought to at least ask how Seto had taken her getting in trouble. But all she felt was dead inside, and all she did was stay out of sight until her friend gave up and left.

She looked down at her deck, then headed to the back door instead.

* * *

Night was closing in. The wind had picked up, adding an unseasonable chill to the air. Kyo shivered a little as she leaned on the rail, gazing out at the ocean.

 _You can't put it off any longer._ She reminded herself. She looked down at the hourglass, then closed her eyes.

 _Mahad?_

She felt his presence almost before she'd finished the thought.

 _"Milady, please forgive me."_

She looked back to see him kneeling on the ground, a hand over his heart.

 _"Thanks to my incompetence, I could not protect you."_ He said remorsefully. _"And now, your soul is trapped again."_

She looked back out at the ocean for a minute. Then she bowed her head. "Don't call me that, Mahad." She said softly.

He didn't make a sound, but she sensed his confusion.

"'Milady'. Don't call me that. Don't call me anything." She mumbled.

 _"…Lady Kyo?"_ He ventured almost nervously.

"Don't call me that!" She snapped, punching the rail and rounding on him. "I'm not the pharaoh! I haven't done anything to earn your loyalty, and it's obvious it's not _me_ you care so much about anyway!" She stopped at the look on his face.

 _Why?_

She spun away as tears welled up in her eyes, and clenched the rail in an iron grip. _Nobody cares about me._

There was a long, painful silence.

"I'm sorry." She said at last. "It's just… for so long, I…" She shook her head. He didn't need to hear all this. "Here," She turned, pulling the hourglass necklace off and holding it out. "You should take this back."

He didn't move.

She looked away, and the silence stretched. _My parents are gone. I spent years being the model child so Mr. Kaiba wouldn't throw me out. I behaved, so my parents wouldn't worry. I protected Kisara when she needed help._

 _And for what?_ She bit her lip and looked away again. _Kaiba may tolerate me for now, but that's no guarantee. Kisara just stood up to Sirius and won. And my parents aren't ever coming back._

 _Even Dartz and Rafael don't need me anymore. All I did was make things worse, and now…_

 _They're fighting my father's battle without me._

Mahad was still watching her.

"Here." She tossed the hourglass over to him. "You're free."

He looked down as the hourglass landed in front of him, but didn't speak.

"I'm sorry, Mahad. But I'm not the pharaoh, and you don't owe me anything." She said in a low voice.

He picked up the hourglass.

"Goodbye." She said, closing the connection.

He made a quick gesture, and she felt him seize the connection, forcing it to stay open. She started and clutched her head, the bizarre sensation catching her by surprise. _What the–_ She looked up as he got to his feet.

He was a lot more solid now.

"Milady, please forgive me for my intrusion," He said quietly, stepping up to the rail next to her and looking down. "But you're wrong."

She stared at him.

"If not for you, I would have remained sealed, perhaps for eternity." His tone had a surprisingly honest gratitude. "Not only did you free me, but you have fought for me, and shown me great honor and respect. I would be thankless indeed to have failed to return the favor."

"Yeah, but it's…" She hesitated. "It's not _me_ you're here for." She mumbled, feeling awful.

He gave her a remorseful look. "It was selfish of me to give you such an impression, Milady." He said softly. "It is true that I care about the Pharaoh, but it is _you_ I am trying to thank." His expression became faintly grieved. "I know it is much to ask, but please, let me stay by your side."

"Why?" She demanded, wishing she could just stop trying to push him away. She didn't want him to go. She wanted him to stay, but she wanted him to stay for _her_ , and that felt selfish too. Perhaps more selfish and childish than his perfectly reasonable desire to know why his Pharaoh was back in the world.

Especially since there was no reason he should have any sort of connection with her. Not like Seto and his Blue-Eyes, or Kisara and her Divine Dragon.

He gave her a strange look. "Because we're friends." He said very quietly.

She blinked. Then frowned. "What about the Pharaoh?" She asked.

His expression became unreadable. "He's gone." He whispered. "He isn't coming back."

There was a pause, and she had an epiphany.

"And everyone else?" She asked before she could snatch it back.

Was he alone too?

"As I am bonded with my ka, I cannot proceed to the Afterlife, and that is where they are." He said quietly, as if guessing what she was thinking. "That is the price I paid, but I am at peace with it."

 _He_ is _alone._

 _More than me. And he'll always be._

She looked down. "I'm sorry." She mumbled. "I must sound like such a child."

"I have already mourned, and you are still in mourning." He said gently. "I was not as supportive as I could have been, and for that I apologize."

She shrugged, feeling awkward.

After a moment, she shifted. "Okay," She said at last. "Then let's try this again?" She held out her hand.

He looked down at her hand, then gave her the hourglass.

"That's not what I– I mean a handshake." She said as she put the hourglass on and stuck her hand out again.

He blinked, then took her hand.

She smiled, and he smiled back. Something caught his attention, though, and he turned.

She followed his gaze, and her mouth fell open as a Blue-Eyes White Dragon appeared over the buildings. It spotted them and dived, and she heard a familiar voice shout, "Wait up!" And the sound of running footsteps.

She turned.

Kisara burst out of an alley nearby, looking a little winded. "Kyo!" She gasped when she spotted them, then stopped in surprise. "Who– is that– is that your card?" She asked, her eyes wide.

Kyo blinked back. "What are you doing here?" She started. "Did you summon Blue-Eyes?" She asked, looking up as the divine dragon flew down to land, arching its neck.

"Yeah, I did." Kisara rubbed the back of her head. "I have no idea how I did, but I was worried about you, and all of a sudden I heard the Blue-Eyes's roar in my head, and there it was." She gave the dragon a grateful smile. "I asked it to find you."

"You were worried about me?" Kyo asked quietly.

"Of course!" Kisara said in a faintly disbelieving tone, and for a moment, she didn't sound anything like her shy self. "You're likes a sister to me, _and_ you just lost your parents. You've barely said a word since you got back." She blinked and looked down, continuing in a quieter voice that sounded more like the Kisara Kyo was used to. "You've always been there for me, and I just wanted to… be there for you, too, y'know?"

 _Kisara…_

There were tears in her eyes again. Kyo dropped her gaze. "Thanks, Kis." She mumbled.

Kisara smiled and came over, hugging her. "Of course."

They held each other for a moment.

Kisara looked up at Mahad. "So is that… sorry, are you…" Kisara faltered, confused as she tried to address him. "You're a lot more solid than Blue-Eyes," She blushed. "Sorry, I thought you were a… nevermind,"

"No, you're right," Kyo said. "This is Mahad. Mahad, this is… my sister, Kisara."

Mahad bowed formally. "It is an honor, miss."

Kisara returned the bow. "The honor is mine." She replied courteously.

"Mahad is the Dark Magician." Kyo explained. "But in order to fight the Phantom, he needed more power. Plus, the chaos magic the Phantom uses affects dark monsters the most, and light monsters seem the most resistant."

Kisara started and looked around at the Blue-Eyes. "So do you think my Blue-Eyes could help?" She asked, looking back at them hopefully.

Kyo stopped. "Well, I… it's really dangerous, and even if you could, the others are taking care of it." She shrugged.

"The others?" Kisara asked. "Like Mr. Rafael?"

Kyo nodded. "He serves Lord Dartz, who rules over Atlantis. The actual lost city, yeah." She added when Kisara opened her mouth. "Lord Dartz is their strongest fighter, I think, and he's the one who has been keeping the pieces of the Phantom separate. Rafael and Mr. Wheeler, plus some others, are the ones actually taking down the pieces."

"And thanks to you, they have a better shot at that." Mahad said bracingly, and she looked up.

"What does he mean?" Kisara asked.

Mahad answered before Kyo could say anything. "The Phantom is a creature of chaos, capable of warping the world as we know it. This is what has made it so difficult to fight. The others are relying on their own magic," Mahad's disgust was clear. "But even that could not hold the Phantom very well."

"That green light?" Kisara asked.

"The Orichalcos." He nodded. "Thanks to Kyo, however, the Phantom can no longer use its magic to warp and destroy us. It is bound to the same rules all spirits follow in this world, including your dragon and myself." He touched his chest.

"In other words, Duel Monsters." Kyo explained.

"Wow." Kisara gasped. "How did you do that?"

"She sacrificed herself." Mahad said solemnly, again before Kyo could say anything. "She used her power to seal both the Phantom and her own soul, tying their fates together. Now, they must duel; the winner will be free, and the loser's spirit will be shredded."

Kisara gasped.

"Now we at least have a chance." Mahad added with a hint of hope. "For the Phantom must defeat Kyo in a duel, and that will never happen."

Kisara blinked, then grinned. "No kidding."

Kyo twitched and rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. "Well, I don't know about that," She said modestly. "I mean, I'd certainly give it my best shot, but…"

"Kyo," Kisara interrupted with some exasperation. "You've never lost a duel."

"Yeah, but that…" She hesitated. _That was my Kuriboh deck, and I'm not sure it would stand up to an Egyptian God anyway. And this…_ "The stakes are so much higher, though." She said, looking down.

"Have faith."

She looked up at Mahad, and he gave her an encouraging nod. "We will support you."

"Yeah." Kisara nodded. "We'll all help."

Kyo looked from one to the other, and felt the despair in her heart overwhelmed by their promises. She dropped her gaze, her mouth twitching into a smile. _I wish that was all it would take… but at least for now, it's enough to keep me in the fight._ She looked up again. _And that's all that matters at the moment._

"Thank you."


	25. Rematch

"So, Prehistoric Park, Palomino Ranch, or Mountaintop?" Kyo asked.

Kisara wasn't listening.

"Kis? You in there?" Kyo queried, a little surprised.

"What?" Kisara turned, blinking.

Kyo snorted. "Looking for Jesse?"

That got her attention.

"How did you…" Kisara blushed.

Kyo raised an eyebrow, giving her a wry look. "A wild guess." She said with intense sarcasm, and Kisara's blush deepened.

"Sorry," She mumbled.

"You do realize you're going to have to introduce him to your father at some point, right?" Kyo pointed out.

"What do you mean?" Kisara squeaked a little, paling.

Kyo rolled her eyes. "Kisara, you have the most intimidatingly overprotective father on the _planet_. The longer you put it off, the worse it's going to be when he finds out."

"Finds out what?" She asked, blushing.

Kyo shook her head, giving up. "Forget it." She looked up, and Mahad materialized beside her. "What about you? Any ideas where you want to duel?"

He blinked at her. _"Milady?"_ He queried, taken aback.

Kyo huffed and backed up. "Sorry. We're at Kaibaland, and we're trying to figure out where to go duel so we can win more cards. I didn't get as many cards as I wanted to last week, and I'm running low on reserves." She hadn't dueled at all last week; she had been a bit preoccupied.

 _"Why ask me?"_ He asked, puzzled.

"Because you're part of the group. In fact, you're the one on the field, so really, if anyone should be choosing which field we play on, it should be you." Kyo said.

He shifted. "I will be satisfied with whatever you choose."

Kyo pulled a face. "That's not what– fine." She gave up. "Then we're going to the mountains."

Kisara hadn't moved.

"Come _on_ , Kis! The train's about to leave!" Kyo called back.

Reluctantly, she followed.

"Hey! Kaiba! Moto!"

 _Ugh. Great._ Kyo grumbled as she picked up the pace.

Unfortunately, Sirius made the tram as well, hopping in just as the doors started to close.

"What do you want, Wheeler?" Kyo growled.

"T' duel you, of course." Sirius grinned back. "Check it." He raised his arm to show off a dueldisk. "An' I see you've both got dueldisks, so wherever you wanna do this is fine with me." He pointed at the roof. "We could even do it on the upper deck."

"We've got somewhere to be, Sirius." Kyo gritted.

"Sure ya do. You're here to win cards, right?" Sirius held up three cards. "I wager my Red-Eyes Black Dragons."

She stopped, startled. Even Kisara looked stunned.

"You _what_?" Kyo stared at him.

"You 'eard me. I'm puttin' my dragons up." He lifted his finger. "Because I'm gonna win."

Kyo frowned. _Something's not right._ "Why? Surely even if you have a new strategy to face me with, you would test that strategy before wagering your best cards."

"I _know_ I'm gonna win." Sirius's grin was a little crooked. "You won't get away from me dis time."

"You've lost it." Kyo shook her head.

"I said–" Sirius seized her arm, his fingers tightening painfully. "You ain't gettin' away."

Mahad's eyes flashed, and Kyo felt a ripple of magic, but Sirius didn't release his grip. She felt a flicker of nervousness and shoved it down, trying to peel him off of her. "Get off me, Sirius."

"Not until you promise to duel." His voice was off.

 _Something's wrong._ Kyo bristled, and Mahad stepped in, lifting his staff.

Sirius's eyes widened, and he gave them a monstrous grin. "Not this time, little fly." He hissed, and to their great surprise, Mahad yelped and fell back.

 _Chaos!_ Kyo thought in sudden horror. She jerked away, but Sirius's grip was too strong. "Let go!" She snapped.

People were starting to look around at them. Kisara was dithering, unsure of how to help. Mahad, recovering and now ready for chaos, stepped forward again, his staff glowing briefly.

This time, Sirius yelped, and this time, he was the one who had to step back.

 _We're on a tram, loaded with people, trapped with a mutated Egyptian God card possessing the body of a formidable duelist._ Kyo thought fast. "All right." She said quickly, pointing up. "We'll duel on the second level."

The trams of Kaibaland didn't have dueling arenas, but they did have places where people with dueldisks could play on top of the tram. The tramways were all designed so that it wasn't dangerous, so long as you weren't too crazy.

"Kyo?" Kisara asked in a low voice, concerned.

Sirius smirked. "Sounds good to me." He said. His voice had lost its accent, and it sounded almost sibilant. "I'll rip you to shreds." He promised with pleasure.

"We'll see." Kyo turned, taking Kisara's hand as she headed for the stairs. _Make sure he follows,_ She added to Mahad, who nodded.

"Kyo?" Kisara asked again, but Kyo just led her up to the second deck.

"You might want to summon Blue-Eyes." She said in an undertone as she turned. "Sirius is possessed."

Kisara started in alarm and looked over at him. His wide-eyed, predatory grin definitely looked wrong compared to his normally cocky expression.

"I'm going to rip you to shreds." He said excitedly as he started up his dueldisk.

"You said that already." Kyo said calmly as she loaded her deck. "How did you get to Sirius?"

"Huh?" He blinked, and for a moment, he looked confused. "Waddaya mean?"

She frowned. That almost sounded like… Sirius.

"Talk later. I'll go first." He said, reverting back to the sibilant tone. "I set four cards facedown and end my turn." He smirked. "Let's see what you've got, little girl."

Kyo drew her cards. _This isn't going to be easy. Sirius's Red-Eyes strategy means he usually has a plethora of monsters on the field. It'll be hard to keep him from having enough monsters to sacrifice for Slifer, and even then, they'll probably just pop right back up again._

 _So,_ She decided as she looked through her hand. _I'd better prepare for facing an Egyptian God card._ She looked over at Sirius. _Luckily for me, Slifer relies on the number of cards Sirius is holding, and his strategy usually empties his hand._

She frowned. _That said, he's usually summoned at least something by this point, but I suppose it isn't exactly impossible to have nothing to summon on your first turn._

"I draw." She said, reaching for her deck.

"I activate Cloak and Dagger!" Sirius declared, lifting his arm. "Now your little fly can't join the fun. He'll be taken out of play instantly."

Kyo blinked, then folded her arms. "So who are you banishing?" She asked.

He blinked, then frowned back and pointed. "Your magician! That thing!"

"You have to declare a card name." Kyo said. "You can't just say 'that thing'."

"That… that… that _fly_!" Sirius snarled furiously. "You know who I'm talking about! Why do I have to say his name?!"

"Those are the rules." Kyo said with a smirk, lifting a finger. "I'm waiting."

He dithered for a moment. "TELL ME!" He bellowed, a wave of chaos erupting from him.

It wasn't anything like the energy he'd summoned during their fight, though, and Kyo wasn't impressed. "You'll have to do better than that, Phantom." She snorted.

 _Kisara!_ She looked back, suddenly concerned, but the Blue-Eyes Divine Dragon was crouched protectively around her, its teeth bared in the Phantom's direction.

Relieved, she looked back and grinned at his frustrated expression. "You can't ban him if you can't declare him." She said with finality, and started reaching for her deck again.

"NO!" Sirius snapped, bristling with rage, but there was nothing he could do.

"Howdy!" Jesse popped up from the stairwell. "I ain't interruptin' anythin', am I?" He asked.

"HIS NAME!" Sirius bellowed, before either Kyo or Kisara could react.

Jesse nearly fell back down the stairwell with the force of Sirius's demand. "Palladium Oracle Mahad," He said, dizzy. "Wha'… what?" He added in a stammer, looking mightily confused.

"Jesse!" Kisara ran over, and the Blue-Eyes darted between them and the threat.

But the Phantom already had what it wanted. "Palladium Oracle Mahad." Sirius declared with a smirk as he turned back to the field. "Cloak and Dagger will now banish him if he enters play."

"What… in the world…" Jesse managed weakly, looking around at the situation.

"I'll explain, just come over here." Kisara said, holding out her hand.

He took it slowly.

"Sorry to disappoint you," Kyo said, lifting a card, "But I'm going to have to disagree. I summon Breaker, the Magical Warrior!" She set the card on her dueldisk. "His special ability gives him a Spell Counter when he's brought to the field. And by removing that Spell Counter, I can destroy one of your traps."

"Sirius is someone we know from school, but he's sort of… gone crazy." Kisara started.

"Well, that much I figgered," Jesse muttered as Breaker tore through the Cloak and Dagger card. He looked up. "But wha's with th' see-through Blue-Eyes an' Mahad?"

Kyo and Kisara both started and looked over at him.

"You can see spirits?" Kisara asked, surprised.

 _He couldn't do that before._ Kyo thought. She looked back around at Mahad. _Is it just me, or are more people getting the ability to see spirits? Is it because of the Phantom?_

Mahad shrugged. _"That is not something I understand fully, Milady. If he has a strong enough bond with his monsters, it is possible he has learned to see them on his own. But your guess is also a valid one; the Phantom's chaos could just as easily be the thing responsible."_

 _In which case, a lot more people might be able to see you and Blue-Eyes soon._ Kyo mused, turning back to the field. "Say what?" She started, staring at a second trap.

"I activated Curse of Darkness!" Sirius grinned lopsidedly. "Now, any time either of us uses a spell, we lose one thousand life points!"

She stiffened. _He didn't have those cards before._ She felt a flicker of concern. _I'm not sure Red-Eyes is even in his deck anymore._

 _No wonder he'd been so quick to ante them._ It still felt very wrong – whatever Kisara might have said, Kyo knew he loved those cards. He wouldn't have given them up.

He started laughing. "I'm going to tear you apart."

"Sirius! Wake up!" Kyo snapped, but she wasn't sure she could get through to him. If the Phantom could take over Slifer –an Egyptian God– and completely alter it, then Sirius wouldn't stand much of a chance. "That Egyptian God card is poisoning your mind! You have to snap out of it!"

He just kept laughing.

 _This isn't good._ She looked down at her hand. _I have Secret Village of the Spellcasters, which restricts the playing of spells to people with spellcaster monsters. But playing it now would inflict a thousand points of damage… and from the sound of it, it won't be worth the cost._

 _I don't know what strategy he's using now, but based on the cards he's used so far, I'm facing a trap deck._

 _This is going to be tricky._ She picked another card from her hand. _But he still has to summon monsters to sacrifice, and Curse of the Circle should help delay the summoning of Slifer._

"I place one card facedown." She said, pausing. _The other cards are probably traps too. But he doesn't have any monsters on the field, and I need to take the lead every chance I get if there's an Egyptian God around the corner._ "Breaker! Attack his life points directly!"

The sword-wielding spellcaster launched forward with a shout, but a fountain of silvery slime burst up from the ground, resolving into a giant ferrous mace.

"I activate Metal Reflect Slime!" Sirius laughed. "It can't attack, but it's the perfect defense."

"Wait, Breaker!" Kyo called him back, and the spellcaster halted in his tracks.

"Hey!" Sirius snapped. "You can't do that!"

"A replay happens; you summoned a monster and he has a new target." Kyo reminded him. "So yes, I can. Breaker, come back."

He returned, settling down in front of her.

"I'll set one more card facedown and end my turn." Kyo said. "Your move, Phantom."


	26. Advent of the Phantom Gods

"How long have you been able to see spirits?" Kisara asked as Blue-Eyes sheltered them with its wings.

"Well," Jesse shifted awkwardly and looked down, and Ruby Carbuncle appeared by his ankles. "Few days ago, I was walkin' 'ome, an' outta nowhere Ruby Carbuncle jus' upped an' started walkin' along with me."

Kisara looked down at the crystal beast, who mewled up at her. She smiled. "She's so cute." She crouched, holding out her hand, and the carbuncle leaned up into the touch with a purr.

"But judgin' by what's goin' on, y'all know more abou' this than I do." Jesse added wryly.

She straightened. "Yeah." She nodded, and they looked towards the field as Sirius set the card he'd drawn.

Kyo glanced back, and their eyes met. She nodded slightly and turned back to her cards. "I tribute Breaker the Magical Warrior to summon Dark Magician Girl!"

"See, Kyo's father, Yugi Moto, was actually fighting a threat to mankind." Kisara said, gathering that the nod had meant she could tell Jesse. "The Phantom is a creature of chaos, something that came from another world."

"Then I activate Dark Burning Attack!" Kyo added. "I may lose some life points, but in exchange, Dark Magician Girl can destroy all monsters on your side of the field. Go, Dark Magician Girl!"

"I activate Imperial Custom!" Sirius laughed. "This means you can't destroy any face-up continuous traps except Imperial Custom. And since my Reflect Slime is a trap… you can't destroy it!" He roared with laughter.

Dark Magician Girl threw a fit, making a couple of rude gestures before folding her arms in a huff.

Kyo paused. She had been planning to try summoning another spellcaster with her Magician's Circle, but with the Reflect Slime still present, it would mean sacrificing another thousand life points in battle damage.

"I end my turn." She said.

"Mr. Moto was able to split the Phantom into three pieces, but he… died." Kisara looked down, then over at Jesse again. "So it's up to the rest of us to stop the Phantom." She gestured. "Right now, it's possessing Sirius. Actually, it's possessing Slifer the Sky Dragon, but Sirius must have gotten his hands on that card somehow, because now it's possessing him."

"Slifer the Sky Dragon?" Jesse started in surprise. "Y' mean the Egyptian Gods are workin' for this Phantom thing t' try to destroy us?"

"Not by choice," Kisara shook her head. "The Phantom corrupted Slifer. We're trying to make sure it doesn't get the other two."

"Hot damn." Jesse muttered as he watched Sirius draw. "Talk 'bout a headache."

Kisara nodded in agreement.

"I activate Tiki Soul!" Sirius lifted one of his other facedown cards, which turned out to be another trap-turned-monster. "Then I'll activate my Magic Planter; this lets me send one continuous trap –Tiki Soul– to the graveyard to draw two cards."

"But you took a thousand points of damage, thanks to your own card." Kyo reminded him.

"I _know_ ," He hissed. "And I don't care." He grinned. "I'll set two cards facedown and end my turn."

Kyo shifted. _This deck isn't nearly as aggressive as his Red-Eyes deck. Which is nice; it gives me a chance to build up my side of the field. The problem is, he's using trap monsters, so I have no idea if he has enough monsters to summon. Plus, he doesn't have to have them out where I can destroy them, which means I can't take them out. And with Imperial Custom in play, I can't destroy them anyway._

She grimaced. _Which means I can't stop him that way._ She looked down at her Curse of the Circle. _My only shot is to catch him when he tries to tribute them._

She drew. _The upshot is, he's filled up his entire back row, so he doesn't have any room to maneuver. But I can't rely on that; I have to assume he wouldn't make it impossible for him to summon his Egyptian God._

"I activate Sage's Stone!" She said. "I lose another thousand life points, but then, since I have Dark Magician Girl on the field, I can summon Dark Magician."

"Fool." The Phantom sneered. "That won't do you any good! You can't destroy my Reflect Slime until you destroy Imperial Custom!"

"I know." She returned primly. "And I don't care." She drew him out. "Now I summon Palladium Oracle Mahad!"

"Hey, wait a sec!" He frowned. "That's not a Dark Magician!"

Kyo smirked. "How observant of you. Turns out, his effect means his name is treated as 'Dark Magician'. So the spell still works on him."

Mahad disappeared from her side and reappeared on the field, holographic.

 _Unfortunately, it doesn't matter._ Kyo thought as Sirius steamed. _Mahad can destroy a card on the field, but he needs three Spell Counters. He got two when he was summoned, and he'll get one every time we activate a spell card, but thanks to Curse of Darkness and Imperial Custom I'd run out of life points before I could use Mahad to destroy his Reflect Slime._

 _He can banish a card with five Spell Counters, so he could bypass Imperial Custom that way, but I'm still running into the same life point issue. Fortunately, that's not all he can do with these counters. And this strategy still seems to be depleting Sirius's hand. So even if he draws Slifer on the next turn, I'd still be able to take him out with Mahad._

"I end my turn." Kyo announced.

He drew, and his eyes widened. Then he started laughing, his voice distorted and awful.

"You don' think 'e…" Jesse muttered.

"Slifer." Kyo gritted. She was out of time. She had one shot; the max number of monsters he could have was three, even if both his facedown cards were monsters. Which meant Curse of the Circle would let her delay the summon.

"I activate Embodiment of Apophis!" He declared. "Then, in order to summon my all-powerful beast, I must send three face-up continuous traps to the graveyard."

"What?" Kyo started in shock. "That's not how you summon an Egyptian God!"

He grinned and tapped his forehead with the card. "But it is how you summon a Phantom God." He said with a laugh.

"A 'Phantom God'?" Kisara queried, surprised. "But there's no such thing."

"Is there?" He laughed again. "I send Imperial Custom, Metal Reflect Slime, and Embodiment of Apophis to the graveyard to summon Uria, Lord of the Searing Flames!"

Kyo felt her heart shrivel. _I can't stop him with Curse of the Circle! This isn't a tribute!_

The air shimmered and distorted, and colors shifted and refracted as chaos came into play. A deep thrum passed through the ground, and the tram groaned in protest.

Then the chaos overlapped in a particularly dense spot, solidifying to take the form of Slifer. But this was the twisted god; the one whose second mouth was inside, and who reflected the mutant, chaotic nature of the Phantom possessing it.

Uria bellowed, and ripples of chaos swept across the field. Mahad braced himself, and Dark Magician Girl darted behind him; behind them, Blue-Eyes sheltered Jesse and Kisara from the distortion effect.

As Kyo peered through the chaos, her eyes widened. "Five thousand attack points?" She gasped. "But you only have two cards in your hand!"

There was a deep rumble, and Uria seemed to be laughing. He snaked through the air, wrapping himself around the tram, and brought his head around behind Sirius. _"My strength lies in trap cards."_ He hissed, his voice echoing and distorted. Sirius's lips moved, but the voice was no longer coming from him. _"Specifically, continuous trap cards. For each one in my graveyard, I gain one thousand attack points!"_

Kyo twitched. _That explains all his traps._ She realized with a grimace. _And what's more… that number will only grow. Not like Slifer, where his hand is a limiting factor._

 _"Next, I'll destroy one of your facedown cards!"_ Uria's mouth opened, and he sent a blast down towards her Curse of the Circle.

"But Slifer can't do that!" Kisara frowned. "Can he?"

"It's not Slifer anymore." Kyo said unhappily. _Damn. An Egyptian God was tough enough. What else can his phantom god do?_

 _"And I'll attack your Dark Magician Girl!"_ He roared, drawing his head back and building up a blast.

Kyo braced herself. "Mahad, you know what to do."

He nodded, and a sphere of golden energy surrounded them both as Uria's fireball shot down.

 _"What? How did you survive?!"_ Uria demanded, snarling with fury.

"Mahad's special ability." Kyo said, spreading her arm. "He can use a Spell Counter on my side of the field to negate your attack, saving my Dark Magician Girl."

Uria grumbled, but subsided. _"Fine."_ Sirius, his eyes glazed and his expression empty, set two cards facedown. _"Your move, little fly."_

She drew.

There were footsteps, and they looked back at the stairwell to see a few people poking their heads up curiously.

"Is that Slifer the Sky Dragon?"

"Is that an Egyptian God?"

Kyo started and looked up to see Uria charging up again. She whirled; Mahad was stuck in the duel, but he wasn't the only powerful monster they had. "Kisara!" She called back.

Her sister nodded and ran over to the stairwell, dragging Jesse with her, and the Blue-Eyes Divine Dragon crouched, solidifying a little as it roared in defiance.

"Wait, is that Blue-Eyes?!"

"Where'd that come from? Isn't that Kaiba's signature monster?"

"Stay back!" Kisara warned. "It's too dangerous up here!"

That earned a few laughs.

"It's just a card game," Someone said dismissively.

"Come on, we wanna watch! It's an Egyptian God card!"

They tried to push past her.

"Y'all might wanna rethink that." Jesse said, stepping up and shunting them back. "This arena's been reserved, an' it's off-limits. You wanna watch, you gotta have an invitation from a Kaiba." He pointed. "Or, y'all can go watch from th' nex' car over."

"Says who?" They demanded.

"You don' know?" Jesse laughed. "This is Kisara Kaiba. You wanna watch, you need her invitation." He stuck his hands in his pockets. "Hey, don' gimme that look. You can still watch, you jus' gotta get to the nex' car. An' I'd go now, before all th' good seats're taken."

There was some grumbling, but at last, they backed off. Jesse took the opportunity to close the hatch.

"Thanks, Jesse." Kisara said with a smile.

"No problem, miss." He turned back. "We're dealin' with enough without 'avin' a peanut gallery t' worry about."


	27. Facing a God

"My move." Kyo drew. _Apprentice Magician!_ She recognized with relief. _He can give Mahad another Spell Counter. He can't survive the second-mouth ability, but it'll be enough to give Mahad a power boost. And when he's destroyed, I can set another spellcaster._

 _You up to this?_ She added mentally to the card. It seemed a little unfair to summon him just to sacrifice, but to her relief, she got the impression the card was pleased to be playing an important role.

She smiled. _Thank you._ "I summon Apprentice Magician to the field. His ability allows me to add another Spell Counter to Mahad."

The purple-robed apprentice popped up out of the ground and twirled his rod, pointing it at Mahad. Mahad gave him a grateful nod, and a second of the golden gems in his armor lit up.

Uria hissed softly, but didn't move.

Kyo blinked. "I thought you attacked monsters the instant they're summoned to the field."

There was a low rumble, but no response.

 _Guess not._ She thought. _That's nice._ She started. _Damn, Apprentice Magician's in attack mode!_ She grimaced. _Ah well. I was kind of expecting to use that Spell Counter anyway._ "I'll switch Mahad and Dark Magician Girl to defense mode and end my turn."

The apprentice looked back a little nervously, but she gave him a reassuring smile. _It's okay. You're doing great._

He blinked, then looked back up as Uria shifted and Sirius drew a card.

 _"Now, I'll destroy your other facedown card."_ Uria growled, and a bolt of power shot down to destroy Magician's Circle.

 _Not that I could have used that anyway at this point._ Kyo shrugged.

 _"And I'll attack your Apprentice Magician!"_ Uria reared back again, gathering another blast of power.

"Go, Mahad! Protect him!" Kyo called, and Mahad lifted his staff. Apprentice Magician ducked close, and an orb of golden light appeared around them just as Uria's blast struck. The entire tram wobbled, eliciting a bout of startled shouts from below.

"Kyo!" Kisara called. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "I'm fine, thanks to Mahad." She reached for her deck. "My move!"

 _Magic Cylinder._ She saw. _Ugh. That won't help me! Uria can destroy my facedown cards before I can use them. And even if I could use this, this wouldn't be the first time I've tried, and last time it nearly killed me._

 _Besides, in order for it to work, I'd have to let the attack past Mahad's ability to block. Which means he wouldn't be able to step in if it fails._ She grimaced and looked back at the field. _But this is different. This is Duel Monsters. And it could be the only way to defeat Uria. With him on the field, there's no way I'll be able to give Mahad enough Spell Counters to both protect us and be able to take Uria out. Still, if his life points hit zero, I win._

 _Which means I'll need to wait for some bait to try to get Uria off course._ "I switch Apprentice Magician to defense mode and end my turn."

Uria charged up as Sirius drew.

 _Looks like he's not bothering with a strategy now that he has himself on the field._ Kyo thought. "Mahad!"

He nodded, and another golden shield appeared as Uria aimed a blast in his direction.

 _Not that he really needs a strategy at this point, but…_

"I draw!" She drew. "And I summon another Apprentice Magician to the field in defense mode! His ability gives Mahad another Spell Counter."

Uria snarled. _"Stop shielding, you little FLY!"_

Kyo's mouth twitched. "It's how you play the game, remember?" She reminded him. "Now go!"

 _Of course, all I'm doing is stalling at this point. If I don't draw something good next turn, Mahad will be the first to go._

Uria roared and charged up another blast, and once again, Mahad shielded himself against the attack. _"Gah! You can't hold out forever, little fly! I will tear you apart!"_

Kyo reached for her deck. She could feel Mahad beginning to tire; by now, he'd shielded against four direct attacks. Sure, the game mechanics meant he could do it indefinitely as long as he had Spell Counters, but the reality was, with chaos in play, there was the possibility he'd break under the strain.

 _"I will not fail you this time, Lady Kyo."_ He said, noticing her concern. _"No matter what it takes, I will find a way to protect you."_

She could sense his remorse; he still blamed himself for not being able to protect her last time they'd faced the Phantom. _It's not your fault. We weren't ready._ She looked down. _I wasn't ready._ She corrected.

He glanced back.

 _But I'm ready now._ She looked up, and their eyes met. She squared her shoulders. _And we're going to take him down._

He smiled and nodded, shifting his attention back to Uria as she drew. She grinned and took her hand, shuffling it deftly out of sight. "I set two cards facedown and end my turn."

 _It's up to fate now._

Uria paused, his eyes narrowing. He studied her facedown cards, and she could tell he was weighing his chances; he could only knock out one of them at a time. With a growl, he drew up a burst, and fired it at one of the cards.

Her entire body tensed up, but then it sagged with relief as she saw the tome. "You destroyed my Magic Formula, and when that card leaves the field, it gives me a thousand life points. So thank you." She sent it to the graveyard and looked up.

Uria roared with triumph and fired up another bolt. _"You still won't escape!"_

She waited as long as she dared. "Go, Magic Cylinder!"

Mahad stiffened, looking back in worry, but this time she was ready. She braced herself as the blast struck, but either it was her experience or the fact that they were playing Duel Monsters now… but it wasn't as devastating as last time.

It still sent shockwaves through her body, and chaos rippled frighteningly across the tram. She strained against the tide, pushing back as the Phantom tried to overcome the rules with sheer force.

There was a brief moment where the cylinders looked distorted, and waved around like floppy spaghetti. Kyo stiffened and focused as hard as she could, willing them to straighten out – for the rules to be reinstated.

Finally, the cylinders straightened, and the blast rebounded to fly straight at the mutant god.

Kyo gasped and fell to her knees, panting. _It's over._ She thought. That was five thousand points of damage being sent back to Uria; even the Phantom couldn't recover from that.

"Kyo!" Kisara called worriedly.

She looked up.

 _No way!_ She gasped, her eyes widening with shock. _How?_

 _"Emergency Provisions!"_ Uria growled, and Kyo realized that his entire back row –which had been full a minute ago– was empty. All his cards –including Curse of Darkness– were gone.

 _Which means he had four thousand life points added before the attack hit._ Kyo thought with a groan of horror. _Sure, Mahad gained a Spell Counter, but there's no way I'd get him enough Spell Counters to defeat Uria, and now…_

 _Now he has eight thousand attack points._

She felt dizzy with fatigue and despair, and stayed where she was. How was she supposed to fight this?

"Kisara! Kyo!"

She blinked, and they all looked back at the hatch, which was open again. Seto came up from below, his cronies back at the bottom of the stairs to keep others back. He took the field in with a quick glance, then bristled. "Wheeler. Where did a brat like you get that card?"

"It's not him, Father!" Kisara said quickly. "That card's controlling him!"

Seto glanced over, and for a half-second, Kyo thought his eyes went to the Blue-Eyes, but if he saw it, he ignored it. "Someone put Wheeler up to this, then? Do you know who?"

"The… the Phantom," Kisara said a little hesitantly, as if sensing his disbelief.

"Hmph." He folded his arms. "And who's the cowboy?" He queried.

"Jesse Anderson, sir." He bowed smartly. "It's an honor t' meet you."

Seto gave him an appraising look, but Uria growled, obviously insulted that Seto had ignored him. He roared, and the gaming tycoon glanced up briefly, unimpressed.

"Get on your feet, Kyo." He said, turning to her. "And stop embarrassing yourself!"

She blinked.

"You're a Kaiba." He raised a clenched fist. "You have what it takes. Defeat this chump and relieve him of his Egyptian God card." He threw his arm down in a slashing gesture. "Your father never bowed to his rivals. Now prove you're a worthy successor and _duel_!"

She twitched. It was ironically refreshing to hear Seto berate her. It felt almost… normal. And it reminded her that she wasn't done yet. Uria had already attacked, which meant she had another chance to turn this around.

She worked her way back to her feet. She was a bit wobbly, but she was starting to get her breath back. _Come on, Kyo. You can do this. You haven't lost yet._

Uria hissed with irritation. _"I set two cards facedown."_ He said softly. _"Your move, little fly."_

Kyo huffed and drew. "It's not over yet, Uria." She said. "And now that Curse of Darkness is off the field, I can activate this without losing any life points. Go, Swords of Revealing Light!" She shouted.

The bolts of light shot down around Uria, barricading his side of the field.

"Plus, because I activated a spell card, Mahad gets a Spell Counter." She spread out her hand, and one of his gems lit up.

Uria chuckled, the deep tones sending reverberations through the tram. _"I activate DNA Transplant."_ He hissed. _"Now, all monsters on the field are Dark!"_

Kyo started in shock. Normally, that wouldn't have had any effect on their strategies. Most of her monsters were already dark anyway, and her support cards tended in that direction.

But there was one card on the field she couldn't afford to let get dark again.

"Mahad!" She gasped as his robes turned purple.

 _"Attack me!"_ Uria roared, and a wave of chaos ripped through the air. Everyone could feel the twisted sensation, and to her consternation, Mahad switched to attack mode.

 _"Milady…"_ His voice was faint, even as he raised the now-green scepter. _"I will protect you."_

"No, Mahad! Don't attack!" Kyo shouted, and he stopped. He looked back, confused, but she shook her head. "I end my turn."

Mahad blinked, but he couldn't attack when it was Uria's turn, so he couldn't proceed. The twisted god's presence was magnetic, though, and he turned back to gaze up at it with a dazed expression on his face.

 _This is bad. I'm losing control._ Kyo thought, panting and trying to straighten. _What's worse is that Magic Cylinders wiped me out, just like it did last time. I can barely stay on my feet, let alone keep my monsters in line. Not with… that card…_

 _"I set one card facedown."_ Uria purred. _"Now, attack me!"_

Mahad groaned and clutched his head, and this time, even the others got to their feet.

 _No!_ Kyo drew. "I activate Secret Village of the Spellcasters!" She shouted. It didn't really affect anything, since she had spellcasters, he didn't, and he wasn't interested in spell cards, but it _did_ mean Mahad would get another counter. And with her monsters in attack mode, she'd need to move fast to prevent them from unintentionally destroying her.

He stirred, taking a step forward as if he was being pulled.

"Now that he has three Spell Counters," She added in a bit of a rush, "I can use his special ability to remove three of them in order to destroy your dragon!"

 _"I activate Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror."_ Uria hissed.

 _NO!_

A small totem appeared at Sirius's feet, holding a mirror. Darkness started to flow from Mahad and the others; their abilities drained from them by yet another continuous trap.

Mahad had almost completely reverted to his Dark Magician form. The last vestiges of his power were being sucked away, rendering him useless.

He stirred, raising his staff.

"No!" She started. "I switch Dark– I mean, I switch Mahad to defense mode–" But she couldn't reach the card. Something was blocking her ability to touch the dueldisk. _No!_

He started powering up.

"No! MAHAD!"

He stopped, twitching, and looked back. Their eyes met, and she saw a glimmer of light return. He looked horrified.

"Not yet," She panted. "Not yet." She reached for the card. "I switch Mahad to defense mode." She repeated, relieved when she was able to touch her dueldisk again. "And end my turn." She couldn't switch the others back; monsters could only switch their positions once per turn. But with Mahad on the field, they would follow his lead, and it was easier to hold them back even if she couldn't switch them back until next turn.

 _And with Swords of Revealing Light, I can still do that._ She thought, switching her focus back to the field. _I have to…_ She swayed a little. _Damn. I have to… break that mirror. He has enough… counters, to take out Uria. I just… need to free him. I have to focus._

Uria hissed as he drew. _"Back to you."_ He said in his deep tones. _"Attack!"_

"Not this time." Kyo said stubbornly, moving quickly. "I draw, set one card facedown, switch my magicians back into defense mode, and end my turn."

The dragon growled. _"This tires me!"_ He declared. _"I set one card facedown and activate my special ability!"_

 _That's fine._ She thought, readying herself. _Even if it's destroyed, his effect doesn't negate it, so I can still activate it and gain its effects._

To her surprise, though, Uria rounded on his own card. _"I destroy Wild Tornado!"_

She started. That meant he'd be able to destroy any card on the field, not just a spell or trap card; plus, he could do it now instead of waiting.

 _"It will destroy your Swords of Revealing Light!"_ Uria declared.

Kyo hesitated, wondering if it had been strategy or the chaotic desire to be the one doing the destroying that had led Uria to destroy the swords instead of using them to try to destroy Mahad or her other monsters.

 _Doesn't matter; the result is the same._ She readied herself.

Uria roared and charged up a blast. _"I will rip you apart!"_

"I activate Black Illusion!" Kyo shouted. "Now, all dark spellcasters on my side of the field with two thousand or more attack points are protected and cannot be destroyed by battle. Plus, though their effects are negated, they are no longer affected by cards on your side of the field."

She stopped. She wasn't precisely sure what this would do; Mahad was only dark because of Uria's trap. But being freed from that trap, and becoming light, meant he would not be protected by Black Illusion. Which meant he _would_ be affected by Uria's traps again. She wasn't sure what the outcome would be, but now was the moment she'd find out.

Chaos, it seemed, was the result.

Mahad flickered back and forth between light and dark; his outfit a garish blend of white and purple, gold and green. He tried to straighten, and lances of energy emitted from him, distorting the air and the tram just as badly as the Phantom did.

"Mahad!" She shouted, worried that this was worse than what might have happened.

A sphere shot up around him, swirling with both gold and purple energy. The blast from Uria hit, and the resulting explosion knocked her flat.


	28. Fading Out

The tram screeched in protest, and this time, it actually left the rails, crunching and skidding right across the ground and through a small forest. Screams could be heard both from inside the tram and from nearby as people dived out of the way.

By some miracle, though, it stayed upright, coming to an abrupt halt near a waterfall.

Kyo could hear the sound of the rushing water, but something was off. The chaos was still building; Mahad was still shifting back and forth between light and dark, and she could feel it flowing through their contact and into her mind.

 _Mahad…_ She moaned and propped herself up, blinking as she tried to clear her vision.

Uria was laughing again. The dragon flew up, swirling around, and spread its wings in victory. She started and looked around at Mahad, but he was still emitting wave after wave of darkness and light.

A statue appeared out of nowhere and launched forward, swinging a stone hammer down on one of her Apprentices. Kyo stiffened and tried to get up, but she was still shaky.

 _Kisara!_ She whipped around, but Kisara was recovering next to Jesse, both protected by the Blue-Eyes. Another Blue-Eyes was crouched over Seto, but it vanished as he stirred.

"Is everyone all right?" He called, looking around. "Kisara!" He stopped, attracted by the alternating waves, and looked back at Mahad. "What the– what's going on?"

Kyo didn't exactly have an answer for him. She turned. _Mahad?_ She called cautiously, trying to reach through the contact. But the noise seemed to be too much, and he didn't respond.

It was getting worse, too. Each wave was getting progressively stronger.

 _What have I done?!_ She bit her lip. "Mahad!"

Uria's cry of triumph grated in her ears, and to her horror, the waves took on a darker tint – they were heading in a direction she knew she didn't want to go.

 _He trusted me with his power so this wouldn't happen._ She thought, feeling sick. _Mahad… what have I done?_

 _The hourglass._ She looked down at it. She could stop this, couldn't she? All she had to do was click the button, and his powers would be sealed up again. He'd go back to being a Dark Magician, and things would get a lot tougher. But right now, his powers were spiraling out of control.

She lifted the amulet.

Then, very abruptly, he was a Dark Magician again.

For a brief moment, she thought she'd clicked the button, but Uria's triumph turned to sudden fury. She looked up and saw the Phantom God streaking down, but before any of them could dive out of the way, he diverted, swirling around to hover behind a blank-eyed Sirius.

Then it struck her.

 _He ended his turn. Black Illusion only lasts until the end of the turn; then its effects stop, and Mahad goes back to being dark, and imprisoned by the mirror._

She let out a sigh of relief. _That… was close._

Slowly, people started picking themselves up, and shouts of fear and anger issued from below. Seto, though, ignored them all, even though most of them were calling for him; his attention was fixed on the duel.

Kyo looked over at Kisara and Jesse, both of whom looked a little worse for wear, but otherwise okay. The Divine Dragon stayed firmly where it was, its eyes fixed on Uria, completely unrelenting.

She smiled. _At least they're okay._

She looked back at the arena. _Mahad?_

There was no response. She couldn't tell if it was being blocked or he was just not answering. Was he even still in there, after everything that had happened?

"My move." Kyo drew and studied the field. _Ah, I get it now. Tiki Curse._ She realized. _That's that statue I saw._ She was surprisingly relieved; at least it wasn't some bizarre manifestation of chaos. It did mean she'd missed the timing on using Apprentice's special ability, but she'd have to move on for now. _All right then._ "I summon Magician's Valkyria in defense mode!" She called.

The Valkyria appeared. Her robes turned black, but she seemed otherwise unaffected as she settled down next to the others.

 _Keep them safe,_ Kyo implored. With her abilities sucked in by the mirror, she couldn't do anything, but even so, she seemed more resistant and alert.

She nodded. _"I will, Mistress."_

 _You don't have to…_ Kyo sighed. _Nevermind._ She could worry about titles later.

 _"I set one card."_ Uria charged up.

 _Mahad…_ Kyo braced herself. This duel was really taking it out of her; she was having trouble standing, and more hits from a monster with eight thousand attack points weren't exactly going to help.

Valkyria flicked her staff, and a shimmer of multicolored energy emitted from the tip. And, to her surprise and relief, Uria seemed attracted by the shimmer.

 _A taste of chaos?_ Kyo wondered. _No, a charm; Valkyria is enchanting._

Uria attacked. Valkyria's effect might be sealed, but she still achieved her purpose; he was veered off course, and instead of destroying Mahad, he attacked her.

 _Thank you, Valkyria._ Kyo managed as she recovered from the blast.

 _"Of course. Now, be strong."_

She nodded.

The stone statue lumbered forward. It couldn't destroy Mahad; it didn't have enough attack points. But Dark Magician Girl wasn't strong enough.

 _"No!"_

Kyo blinked. The voice was faint, but it was Mahad's; he was staring at where Dark Magician Girl had been sitting beside him with an expression of anger and loss.

Uria roared, and she felt another wave of chaos rippling through the air.

 _Damn. He's going to try to make Mahad attack again._ She grimaced. She could feel the pain in his heart; he cared about Dark Magician Girl, and watching her be destroyed was like losing a treasured friend.

They were too battered. She couldn't stop him, and Uria was too strong. As long as that mirror was in play…

 _Hang on, Mahad. Just a little longer._ She prayed. _Please, heart of the cards… help us._

She drew.

Uria renewed his chaotic mesmerism, and she could feel Mahad shifting back towards attack mode.

"I switch Mahad to attack mode!" She said. Somehow, it being her decision felt like resisting it. She wasn't sure how; she could just be imagining things. But he seemed content to wait. At least long enough for her to finish what she'd started. "Then I activate Dark Magic Attack!"

The Dark Magician raised his staff, then thrust it out, spheres of purple energy shooting across the field.

"This lets me destroy all your spell and trap cards, freeing my monsters from your influence!" She declared with triumph.

Uria hissed, and another Emergency Provisions popped up. Kyo grimaced, but at least the traps were gone. Sure, now Uria was up to twelve thousand attack points and a bunch more life points, but honestly, now that Mahad was back…

She didn't care.

He straightened, his robes returning to white. The aura of chaos faded, and everything seemed to become _right_ again. She swayed, but kept her feet. "Mahad gets another counter." She didn't remember how, but it didn't really matter at this point, because the counter lit up. "And with three counters, he's able to destroy one card on the field."

Mahad lifted his staff, tracing symbols in the air.

"Go, Mahad!" Kyo called. "Destroy Uria!"

He took off, finishing the symbols, and placed his hand against them. A web of golden, desert-themed energy appeared around Uria, and there was a shriek of outrage. Chaos erupted across the field, but Mahad was back, and his power seemed to be holding Uria's in check. And a few seconds later, the dragon shattered, vanishing.

"NO!" Sirius bellowed, suddenly reanimating. "You little FLY! I'll DESTROY you!"

"Ah-ah," Kyo said as he took a step forward. "Rules are rules." She straightened a little. "Play the game, or forfeit. And remember what happens… when you forfeit."

He stiffened.

"Mahad," She looked up. "And Apprentice…" She swallowed. "Attack him directly."

They launched forward together. Apprentice wasn't very strong, but he still put everything he had into the attack. And Mahad was grimly pleased to have the opportunity to strike Uria at last.

They couldn't tear him all the way down, but it was a good start.

"Your… move. Play… or forfeit." Kyo said, clutching her side and trying to keep her head up. _Come on. Last stretch. Uria's off the field; you're in control now. Don't slip._ She had never been so tired.

Uria grimaced and drew. "I set three cards facedown and end my turn."

She drew. "I summon Alchemist of Black Spells in attack mode."

"I activate Cyber Shadow Gardna!" Uria growled. "Now, when you attack, Gardna's power becomes the same as your monster, annihilating both."

Kyo let out a breath and looked up. Apprentice gave her a grin, and she nodded. "Apprentice, attack!"

He flew forward, and the gardna's claws came up to seize him. He let out a burst of power, and they were both destroyed.

"When Apprentice is destroyed, he lets me Set a level two or lower spellcaster from my deck directly on the field." Kyo said. She drew the card out of her deck and set it, then shuffled.

"I activate Tiki Curse!" Uria added, and another stone statue popped up.

Kyo returned her deck to the dueldisk. "Mahad, attack his Tiki Curse!"

He launched forward, thrusting out his staff and casting a bolt of golden energy in the statue's direction.

"I activate Begone, Knave!" Uria finished. "Whenever a monster deals damage to a player's life points by battle, that monster is returned to the hand. So goodbye, little fly!" He laughed.

 _That explains why he summoned the statue in attack mode…_ Kyo swayed. _Mahad…_

She picked up the card.

Now that he wasn't on the field, Uria's chaos was making a resurgence. He couldn't do much, not with his card in the graveyard, but Kyo was barely standing as it was. The quiet waves of chaos made her feel dizzy.

Mahad appeared next to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. _"Be strong, Milady. We're almost there."_

She nodded. "Your move, Uria." She said.

"Hang in there," Kisara said, quietly supportive. "You've got this, Kyo."

"I draw, then set one card facedown." Uria declared. "Your move."

Kyo nodded and drew. _His turns are so short._ She thought, half-smiling. _The exact opposite of Sirius's._ "I flip Magical Undertaker face-up." She said. "This lets me summon a level four or lower spellcaster from my graveyard, and I choose Magician's Valkyria."

The Valkyria reappeared in her normal green outfit, and she lifted her staff in readiness.

"Next, I sacrifice…" She paused. _Oh. Right. Guess it didn't matter who…_ "I sacrifice Valkyria and Magical Undertaker to summon Palladium Oracle Mahad."

Valkyria vanished again, and Mahad flew back to the field.

"Then I activate Alchemist." Kyo said, lifting her hand. "He gives Mahad a Spell Counter, on top of the two Mahad gets from being summoned. Mahad," She huffed. "Destroy the Begone Knave trap!"

He nodded and traced the symbols through the air again, then activated them with a touch of his hand, and the trap vanished.

"Now," She lifted her arm. "Attack him directly!"

Mahad launched forward, but a shadow burst up out of the ground. He attacked it, his power making short work of it, but then the shadow reformed, mirroring him.

Uria laughed. "When Zoma the Spirit is destroyed, it inflicts the destroying monster's attack points as damage to your life points!"

Mahad started and whipped back around. _"Lady Kyo!"_

The shadowy Mahad flew at her, and she started, but she couldn't dodge in time. It struck, and she blacked out.


	29. The Final Blow

_"So, Mahad," Kyo asked as the four of them –she, Kisara, Mahad, and Blue-Eyes– walked home from school. "What do you do for fun?"_

 _He gave her a blank look._

 _"You're not here all the time. What do you do when you're off?"_

 _He shrugged. "To tell you the truth, I experience very little. Since joining with my ka, time has ceased to flow for me."_

 _Kyo twitched._

 _He looked over at her. "I suppose I enjoy Duel Monsters," He said after a moment. "In my time, the Shadow Games were a terrible thing, and with them, powerful sorcerers reigned supreme; no one could challenge them." He glanced at the hourglass around her neck, then back to her eyes. "In Egypt, we were fortunate that our champions were benevolent rulers."_

 _Kyo and Kisara exchanged looks._

 _"But now, you play those games as a form of entertainment." He continued. "It was… difficult… to get used to at first," He admitted. "But when the stakes do not include one's mind or soul, it can be satisfying to test one's powers." He paused. "Of course, the Pharaoh still had Shadow Games to play, but the game itself is… fun." He looked up. "Especially when I am able to land the finishing blow."_

 _Kyo grinned back. "Then I'll do my best to make sure that happens."_

* * *

"Kyo!"

"She lost! I win!"

 _"Lady Kyo!"_

"She hasn't lost yet! She's still got five hundred life points!"

"She can't play, therefore she forfeits! I win!"

"Not yet you don't, punk. She still has thirty seconds to make a move."

She stirred. People were shouting, and there was a waterfall in the background. There was something she was supposed to do, but she couldn't seem to move.

 _"Lady Kyo?"_

Mahad's face was floating transparently overhead, his expression filled with worry and remorse. _"Milady, please, rise! You must fight, or he will tear your soul to shreds!"_

She blinked at him. He was kneeling next to her, but she was also pretty sure he was on the field. _Why are there two of you?_ She wondered dazedly.

 _"Please, Milady!"_ He begged desperately. _"If you do not rise, you will be destroyed!"_

 _Okay, okay,_ She groaned and rolled onto her side. Pushing herself up was a lot harder than she had been expecting; her whole body was trembling, and it took everything she had just to sit up.

"Yes! Come on, Kyo! Get up!" Kisara shouted. "Come on, you can do it, get up! Get up!"

She blinked. _She's so noisy._ She thought. That wasn't like Kisara at all. Though that seemed to be the trend, actually; she had gotten a lot more assertive recently. _Why is that?_

 _"Please, Milady!"_ Mahad begged, placing a hand on her shoulder. _"Worry about that later! Just rise!"_

 _Everyone's noisy._ She realized. Mahad wasn't normally so pushy either.

Then she saw Sirius and remembered why.

 _Right. Fate of the world._ She huffed and steeled herself, forcing her way up off the ground. She wobbled dangerously, but made it to her feet at last. "I'm… not… done." She gritted, clutching her side and taking a couple unsteady steps forward. "I won't lose to you, Uria." She clenched her fist. "Hear me? I'll destroy you!"

He shifted, his expression foul and a little worried.

"I set… one card," She added, remembering the cards in her hand. "And end my turn."

Uria bristled. "I'll rip you apart one way or another, little fly." He hissed. "I set one card facedown."

She drew.

"I activate Metal Reflect Slime!" Uria hissed, and the giant glob shot up. "You can't attack me. You don't have enough counters, and your little fly is too weak."

"I can't attack you, no," Kyo said slowly, "But you're not the only one in there." She lifted the card. "And I think it's high time you gave him back." She swayed a little. "I activate Owner's Seal!"

Like DNA Transplant, this card didn't really do much to affect the outcome of the duel. And technically, it could only affect monsters on the field.

"Mahad," She called, and he took the spell, spinning it around. "Use it… on Sirius!"

Uria stiffened. "You can't free him. He's mine."

"He doesn't belong to you." Kyo said. "Go, Mahad! Free Sirius's mind!"

The magician activated the seal, and it appeared around Sirius. There was a startled exclamation from the onlookers, which turned quickly to alarm as Uria appeared, transparent, over him. But the seal sifted the dragon out, and his furious roar was rendered impotent.

Sirius blinked, looking rather confused. "Hey, wait…" His accent was back, and he looked much more like his old self. "What? What's goin' on?"

Kyo let out a breath of relief. "You're back. That's what's going on." Her head drooped.

 _"Lady Kyo!"_

She blinked and looked up.

 _"You can't give up now."_ Mahad implored. _"You can't lose. Even if Uria is no longer your opponent, if you lose, he might still use it as an excuse to tear you apart."_

She twitched.

 _"You're almost there."_ He continued. _"Please, stay with us just a little longer."_

She nodded. "I activate… Eternal Soul!" She declared, and a stone tablet lifted up out of the ground, carved with an image of the Dark Magician. "This lets me move… Dark Magic Attack… or a Thousand Knives… to my hand." She sorted through her deck. "I activate a Thousand Knives: this lets me destroy… your Metal Reflect Slime." She pointed.

Daggers appeared around Mahad, then shot across to impale the slime. It burst sloppily across the field and vanished.

"Now, Mahad…" She blinked dizzily. "Attack him directly!"

If anything else happened, she missed it.

* * *

Mahad could feel the power fading rapidly even as he shot across the field. Hurriedly, he cast his attack, praying it would reach its mark before she passed out completely.

It completed, and he spun back around, intending to fly back to her, even if it meant forcing himself to stay. But someone had already caught her.

"You did it, Kyo!" Kisara gasped as she held her unconscious sister. "You made it."

Mahad hesitated, staring at the huddled form, but soon, Jesse had joined her, and Seto wasn't far behind.

He wanted to stay. But it looked like she was safe for the moment. She was surrounded by friends and family, and honestly, staying would probably be unwise at this point.

So, reluctantly, he let the threads tug him back home.

* * *

Kisara saw her sister falling as if in slow motion, and ran forward quickly to catch her. They both dropped, but she managed to catch Kyo before they hit the ground. And a quick glance up, seeing Sirius's life points drop to zero, told her that the attack had completed.

"You did it, Kyo!" She gasped in relief, but Kyo was unconscious. She smiled. "You made it."

"Is she awright?" Jesse asked as he came over.

"Yeah, I think so." Kisara nodded as she checked her sister again. "Just passed out."

"Good thing the attack went through." Jesse noted. "Least she's the winner."

"Hey,"

They both looked up to see Sirius coming over.

"What do you want?" Kisara bristled. "She won, so leave her alone!"

"'Bout dat." Sirius stopped, looking uncomfortable. "I'm sorry. I don't know… I don't know what happened. Did we… were we dueling?"

Kisara hesitated, but he _had_ been possessed. "You were possessed by Uria, a phantom. He took over you through Slifer the Sky Dragon."

Sirius blinked. "You mean dat weird Slifer?" He asked, then looked down at his dueldisk. "Did I play it?"

"Yeah. It should be in your graveyard." Kisara said.

He sifted through.

"Where did a punk like you get it, anyway?" Seto demanded. "Who gave it to you?"

"No one." Sirius said as he pulled it out. He grimaced and held it away from himself. "I found it, jus' lyin' on the ground. Couldn' believe my luck. Guess I should'a known it was too good t' be true."

"Give it to me." Seto held his hand out. "It's obvious you don't deserve to hold a card this powerful."

Kisara hesitated, but Sirius didn't seem like he was interested in arguing.

"Take it. Dat thing's way too freaky." He said. But as he held it out, it vanished, and they all started in surprise. "Hey wait, where'd it go?"

Seto seized the front of his shirt, lifting him. "I should be asking you that."

"Father!" Kisara called. Much as she wanted to beat the tar out of Sirius for being such a blockhead, they _did_ have something more pressing. "What about Kyo?" She asked.

Seto turned, releasing Sirius, then tapped the KC pin on his collar. "Medical emergency to tram six. We've gone off the rails and we have numerous casualties."

[We're already on our way, Mr. Kaiba.] Someone replied.

"Make sure you send a chopper." He added.

[Yes, sir.]

He turned. "Someone sabotaged my tram system. Shut it down until further notice." He released the pin. "That's not something a kid like you could have pulled off." He added, turning back to Sirius. "So who put you up to this? Who else has it out for my family?"

"I dunno, sir," Sirius said in a small voice. He looked over at Kyo, then bowed his head. "I have no idea."

"Hmph." Seto towered over him for a moment, but seemed to decide he was telling the truth. "Then you'd better clear off, before I decide to take it out of your hide."

Sirius hesitated, but in the face of everything, he decided to bail. "I'm sorry." He repeated. "I hope she's okay." He started to hop down, but a helicopter appeared, coming to rest beside the tram.

 _That was fast,_ Kisara thought, but Blue-Eyes didn't seem to think this was the one Seto had called.

"Oh great. Dartz." Seto growled, marching to the edge of the tram and setting one foot on the lip. "You'd better have a damn good reason for showing your face, Dartz, or I might just smash it in myself."

"Well, you're as charming as ever I see," Dartz said wryly as he emerged from the helicopter. "Do you think you could set your magnificently obtuse temper aside just this once?"

"Not really." Seto replied, folding his arms. "Now clear out, before I arrest you for sabotage."

"I think I'm insulted, Kaiba." Dartz called up as he reached the tram. "I once owned your _company_ , and you think I'd trivialize myself with a tram in an amusement park?" He shook his head.

 _Owned KaibaCorp? When?_ Kisara wondered, startled.

"What do you want, Dartz?" Seto snapped.

"Where is Kyo?" Dartz asked. "She _is_ still with us, I hope?"

"Why do you care?"

"Because I _care_ , Kaiba. She was just in a duel with an extremely dangerous force, and to my great regret we did not arrive in time to help." Dartz said, spreading an arm. "But my hope is that she survived, and I can at least help her recover."

"She's fine. She won. And she'll recover without your 'help'." Seto growled. "She's a Kaiba."

"A 'Kaiba'?" Dartz queried with incredulity. "Is this _sentiment_ I hear? I heard of your protectiveness from Rafael, but I confess I did not believe it. Have you adopted her as your own? Or was it that you recognized the pharaoh's spirit reborn?"

"If you're going to start spouting more hocus-pocus nonsense, I'd better just stop you there. I don't have time to deal with you." Seto growled. "Go find someone else to deceive."

Dartz frowned. "I swear, Kaiba, in ten _thousand years_ , I have never met _anyone_ who could watch their very _soul_ get ripped out of them by a primordial beast fueled by evil and _still_ not admit to the existence of magic. Is there no _end_ to your unbelief?"

Seto smirked. "What, frustrated because I'm the only one on Earth you _haven't_ fooled?"

"That's not something to be proud of." Dartz retorted, and Rafael snorted. "Look. Can I just have a quick look at her? I just want to make sure she's still breathing."

"She's still breathing. You can leave."

Dartz sighed.

"I've got it, Boss." Rafael said. Then a moment later, he appeared over the edge of the tram, carried by Eatos.

Kisara's eyes widened.

"Yep. That's definitely a Blue-Eyes." Rafael added, looking up at the dragon crouched low over Kisara, Kyo, and Jesse. "So, you can summon monsters too, huh?"

Kisara nodded.

"Mind if I have a look?"

"I thought I made it clear to your boss that you're not welcome." Seto growled, stepping between them.

"In case you hadn't noticed, Kaiba, we're on the same side here." Rafael growled back.

Eatos, though, flicked past the two as they argued and stepped up to the Blue-Eyes, lifting her hand in a peaceful gesture. After a moment, the dragon bent down, letting Eatos touch its snout in acceptance. Then it backed off, and Eatos stepped forward, kneeling beside them.

"Damn," Jesse said in quiet reverence, touching his heart.

She smiled at him, and he bowed his head. She looked over at Kisara with a questioning look, and Kisara understood without the need for words.

"Yes," She said in an undertone. While she respected her father, she could tell that he wasn't going to accept that there was a phantom beast trying to destroy the world. Since there was, and these people were fighting it, she was willing to compromise on her father's –and Kyo's– behalf.

Eatos reached down and touched Kyo's forehead, closing her eyes. After a moment, her hand slid down to Kyo's chest, and a small ripple of warmth passed over them. Her hand moved up to the scarab charm, and she tapped it, then looked up and gave Kisara a reassuring smile, as if to say, 'She'll be fine now.'

"Thank you," Kisara whispered, and Eatos got to her feet.

"Fine." Rafael said at the same moment, interrupting Seto's tirade. "Well, like you said, she's breathing, and I can see that." He stepped back. "So we're off."

"It's about time." Seto said, folding his arms.

"You really are a pain, you know that?" Rafael grunted back. "Come on, Eatos." He hopped down, and Eatos caught him, carrying him to ground and out of sight. A moment later, they got in the helicopter and took off, passing the incoming medical chopper Seto had requested.

He watched them go.

Kisara studied his back, thinking. _I'm not sure he is ignoring magic._ She mused. _Maybe he thinks he is, but if he really was, wouldn't he have stopped the duel when we went off the tracks? Wouldn't he have kept Sirius around for questioning? Would he have bothered summoning Obelisk when Slifer showed up outside Kyo's window if he thought it was just a hologram?_

 _But why bother pretending he can't see magic? She retaliated. Is he trying to protect us? Does he think that ignoring it will make it go away?_

 _That doesn't make any sense. He'd never ignore something like that, and it wouldn't protect us anyway… because it hasn't._

He turned, and she thought she caught him glance at her Blue-Eyes, but he ignored it as he came over. "Come on. Let's get Kyo to the infirmary."


	30. Recovery

_"What do you do for fun?"_

 _"As I have in ages past, so I do in days renewed. I am your loyal servant."_

 _"It only needs one of us, so I'm letting the Seal take me instead."_

 _"He gave his life to split the Phantom into three pieces."_

 _"So how do you know that I'm this pharaoh?"_

 _"How could I not know?"_

 _"Because we're friends."_

 _"I know I've been hard on you. But in order to survive, you have to be tough. You can't rely on anyone to help you. I don't know what their game is, but I expect you to win it."_

Violet eyes slid open. She'd never had that happen before – where a bunch of memories just played in rapid succession. So she was a little disoriented when she stared at the ceiling, trying to figure out what was going on – what was a dream, and what was real.

"Kyo?"

She looked around to see Kisara sitting next to the bed, her eyes a little puffy. As their eyes met, though, she brightened. "You're awake! Oh, Kyo!" She threw herself on Kyo, hugging her with a surprising amount of force and driving all the air out of her lungs.

Kyo gasped. "Kisara!" She struggled.

Kisara sat back. "Kyo?"

"I can't breathe," Kyo said dryly as she recovered, sitting up. "Where are we? What happened?"

"We're in the infirmary–"

"Kyo?"

They both looked up in surprise. Sirius was hanging from the window ledge.

Kisara frowned. "What are you, a peeping tom? Get down!"

"I jus' wanted to apologize." He said quickly. "I 'member more of what 'appened, an' I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I can't believe what I was tryn'a do." He looked down. "I mean, I know I can be a jerk, but I never wanna… I wanted t' rip your _soul_ out! An' I'd _never_ … you could'a been…"

"It's not your fault, Sirius." Kyo said. "It's okay. I'm fine, anyway. I'm just glad we got that thing out of you." She looked around at Kisara. "What happened to it, anyway? Did we get Slifer back?"

"No." Kisara shook her head. "It disappeared when Sirius tried to hand it to Father."

Kyo frowned. "I thought defeating it meant it would go back to normal. …I _did_ defeat it, right? Did the attack complete?"

Kisara nodded. "Yes, but you passed out _right_ after, so maybe Uria was able to escape anyway." She shrugged. "Either way, Uria's gone again."

"I'm sorry." Sirius repeated. "An' you _did_ win." He dug in his pockets. "An' a deal's a deal. You earned my Red-Eyes."

"Don't be silly, Sirius." Kyo said quickly. "You weren't yourself when you ante'd them. They're your favorite cards."

"Yeah, but I don' deserve 'em." Sirius said despairingly. "At least dis way I know dey're with someone who'll treat dem with the respect dey deserve."

Kyo shook her head. "You don't have to give me your cards." She started to get up, then decided against it. "Sirius, if you really want to make it up to me, why don't you help us?"

Sirius blinked, and both he and Kisara gave her puzzled looks.

"Help? With what?" He asked.

"But he can't see spirits." Kisara frowned.

Kyo glanced up at her, then back at Sirius. _Winged Kuriboh._

The kuriboh bounced into the room and cooed, and Sirius did a double take. "What's dat? Kuriboh? Without a dueldisk? How'd you do dat?"

Kisara was taken aback. "You can see spirits?"

"Spirits?"

"He was possessed by the Phantom." Kyo explained. "I had a feeling that meant he would be able to see them. Sirius," She turned. "The Phantom –the creature that possessed you– is a threat to the world. You've experienced its power firsthand." She glanced at Kisara, then back. "Kisara and I are trying to stop it, along with a few others… including your father."

Sirius stopped, startled.

"He probably told you he was on tour, right?" Kyo guessed.

His eyes widened. "How'd you…"

"That's what my father told me. The truth is, Dad was fighting this thing. He died to split the Phantom into three pieces." She looked up. "Your father's still fighting, though. If you want to make up for what you did, tell him what happened, and that you can see spirits."

Sirius stared at her. "But how… I mean… why would 'e…"

"To protect you." Kyo said. This part was hard, because she knew exactly how he felt. Why would he lie? Why would he say he was just off touring?

She doubted either her father or his realized what their kids would think… if that was all they were doing. "They're just trying to protect us." She said quietly. "You've seen what the Phantom can do. They didn't want it to happen to us." She looked up at him. "But it did. Tell him it did – tell him what happened. Ask if you can help. Because it's dangerous… and we need all the help we can get."

There was a pause, and slowly, Sirius's expression shifted.

Then there was a knock on the door.

He jumped, then hastily ducked out of sight.

"Sirius?" Kyo started, but the door was opening, and they both looked up to see Seto in the doorway.

"Good. You're awake." He said, stepping into the room. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," Kyo admitted. "Do you know how Sirius got that card? I was going to ask, but I didn't get the chance," She tried not to look at the window as she said this.

"Said he picked it up somewhere." Seto said, his tone clearly disbelieving. "Dartz showed up five minutes later, so I'm sure he's involved somehow."

"Lord Dartz came here?" Kyo asked, startled. _I thought he was supposed to stay in Atlantis._ She frowned. _Actually, he never said that, did he? Rafael and Mr. Wheeler, and his other conduits, were all the ones doing the leg work…_

"He did. He wanted to make sure you were still breathing." Seto said dryly. "I told them you were and sent them packing."

Kyo shifted. Part of her was relieved; much as she respected them, she still didn't like the Orichalcos, and it just gave off a bad vibe whenever she was anywhere near it.

"Soon as you're up and about, we'll head home. It's getting late." Seto added. "You can rest at home."

Kyo nodded. She started to get up, but she still felt a bit wobbly. Kisara hurried to her side and helped her stand, and she tested herself out.

"I can make it to the car," She said, knowing that that was what Seto wanted to hear.

"Good." He nodded. "I'll have it brought around out front." He strode away.

Kyo looked over at Kisara. "Did he really just send them packing?" She asked.

"Well," Kisara glanced at the door as they started walking, as if making sure Seto wasn't still there. "Rafael sent Eatos over, and I think she healed you. She did something and we all felt a little warm, anyway." She said. "You sure you're okay?"

Kyo nodded. "Just tired." She assured her. "I'll rest better at home."

* * *

They made their way slowly to the elevators, then down to the ground floor and out through the lobby, ignoring people's glances. Seto was already in the car waiting, so Kisara helped Kyo in and sat down with her.

"Kyo," Seto said as they pulled out. "I don't think I'm familiar with Palladium Oracle Mahad. He seemed to have some potent abilities; mind if you show it to me?"

"Uh," She dug in her pocket, pulling out her deck, and realized that someone must have taken it out of her dueldisk and put it back in its pouch for her. "Here." She held it out. _Do I have enough strength?_ She wondered, turning. _Mahad? Are you there?_

He appeared in the seat next to Seto, across from them. He looked around, taking in the scene, then turned back at her. _"How are you feeling, Milady?"_ He asked.

 _Tired,_ She repeated. _I'm glad you managed to finish the duel. I don't remember the last few seconds at all._

He gave her a worried look and leaned forward. _"You should really be resting. You should not have summoned me."_ He paused, then added, _"I am glad to know you are awake, at least."_

She smiled. _Thanks._

His expression became remorseful again. _"I'm sorry. I failed you again, even though I swore I would not."_

 _Failed me? You won the duel!_ She returned. _It's okay._

 _"My own power nearly killed you."_ He said bitterly. _"If I had not attacked…"_

 _I didn't call you off._ Kyo said. _It's not your fault._

 _"Milady,"_ He looked back at her. _"I swear to you, I will not fail you a third time."_

 _It's okay!_ She said firmly. _You already made it up to me by winning the duel. If you hadn't, I would've died. So stop pouting about it!_

He flinched.

"Hm. Powerful card." Seto said, and she started, having almost forgotten he was there. He passed it back. "Is that going to be your signature card?"

She nodded. "Yes. My deck is built around him and other spellcasters. Mainly him."

"I gathered that much." Seto mused, sitting back. "It'll be interesting to see how well you measure up to Yugi's old deck."

She blinked.

"His signature card was the Dark Magician. And I noticed you had Dark Magician Girl as well. There are some differences; you're focusing more on spellcasters than he did. But then again, he had the Egyptian God cards." He folded his arms. "It's a shame we don't have Slifer or Ra. It'd be interesting to see how you'd wield one of them."

Kyo thought immediately of the way her entire soul had been lit on fire by Ra last time she'd 'wielded' one. _Not sure I'd be interested in that kind of 'interesting'._ She thought wryly, rubbing her arm unconsciously.

"I'll give you a list of the cards he had in his deck after the KaibaCorp Grand Championship." Kaiba said. "It wasn't long after that that he… changed his strategy."

"Why?" Kyo asked. "Why did he switch to the Level-Ups?" _And why did he abandon Mahad?_

 _"He didn't…"_ Mahad started, but faltered.

"Well, I hate to break it to you," Seto said quietly. "But for a while there, your father was under the delusion that he was some five-thousand-year-old pharaoh come back to save the world. That's when he used that deck and became the King of Games." He shook his head. "At some point, it seemed he decided to grow up. Unfortunately, he changed his strategy as well. Guess he didn't like the reminder."

Kyo, reading between the lines, started to get a sense of what had happened. The pharaoh –herself, according to Dartz– had been the one who liked this particular deck. But when the pharaoh had been laid to rest, Yugi had decided to switch to the Level-Ups instead.

 _Why?_ She frowned. _Was it like Mr. Kaiba said? That he didn't like the reminder?_

That was heartbreaking. It didn't seem like something she'd want to have happen if she had to leave.

"It's too bad, really." Seto shook his head. "He might have kept his title, but he gave up the deck that got him there."

 _He abandoned all of them._ She thought, pulling out her deck and flicking through it. _Mahad, Dark Magician Girl, Black Luster Soldier, Dark Magician of Chaos…_

 _He abandoned all of them, just because the Pharaoh left._ She looked up and caught Mahad's unhappy expression. _Because the Pharaoh abandoned him._

 _"That's not true."_ The magician said, shaking his head. _"The Pharaoh had to be laid to rest; it was his only chance to move on, or else he would have been trapped, forced to remain in the mortal realm as a restless spirit."_

Kyo blinked and looked down. _I hope so._ She found herself thinking. But the result seemed pretty obvious.

 _Maybe that's why he came back as me._ She thought. _He probably couldn't as himself, not without getting stuck for all eternity. But if he reincarnated as me, then…_

She caught another look in Mahad's eyes – this one of uneasiness. _"I'm not so sure. As monsters, things are different for us. We can never move on to the Afterlife, so such a fate would have befallen us eventually anyway."_

Kyo frowned. _But that still means you're stuck here._

 _"It was worth the price to be able to protect you."_ Mahad said with certainty. _"I don't mind. As I mentioned before, time travels differently, and I hardly notice."_

 _That's still…_ She sighed. _Is this really how you want to live for the rest of time?_

His eyes met hers. _"If it ever becomes an issue, I will deal with it then."_

She got the feeling he wanted her to stop talking about it, so she turned her attention out the window.

"Either way, I'd like to test out your deck for myself." Seto said presently, and she whipped back around, startled. "See how strong it's become, now that you've put some effort into it."

She hesitated. She would have asked if he was planning to use Obelisk, but that didn't really matter, considering how many heavy hitters he had in his corner. She swallowed.

"Don't worry," He said with a grin, noticing her nervous expression. "There won't be an ante, so it's not like losing will hurt your chances. Just think of it as a test, to see where you're at and how far you've come."

Her mouth twitched. "Yes, sir," She managed.

 _"I will not fail you, Lady Kyo."_ Mahad said reassuringly.

Kyo glanced at him, and the thought of winning crossed her mind. _Right, like_ winning _would be better…_ She thought wryly. _Even if I could, beating Mr. Kaiba at Duel Monsters while he has an Egyptian God… I dunno. That seems like a… bad idea._

Mahad gave her a puzzled look. _"Is it not the point to win?"_

 _Yeah, but…_

They pulled up in front of Kaiba Mansion.

"All right. Go get some rest." Seto said as he got out, holding the door open for them. "We'll duel tomorrow."


	31. Getting Schooled

Kyo sat on her bed, gazing at the deck in her hands.

 _"Are you worried about the duel?"_ Mahad asked. He was leaning against the wall next to her, transparent. _"Or the Phantom?"_

Kyo looked up. "Both, I guess." She said. "We need to find a way to stop the Phantom before it hurts anyone else." She smiled wryly. "But I can't say Mr. Kaiba doesn't scare me too."

Mahad snorted. _"He was never exactly the… benevolent type."_

She blinked. "What do you mean?"

 _"He is the reincarnation of another priest in your court."_ Mahad explained. _"Priest Seto."_

Her eyes widened.

Mahad's expression was reminiscent of someone talking about an irritating peer. _"He was always obsessed with power. It was almost lucky there was a larger threat."_

Kyo gave him a weak smile. "Guess nothing's changed, huh?" She sighed and got to her feet. "Well, I can't put this off much longer. At least my pride's the only thing at stake this time."

Mahad huffed. _"I would be pleased to help you put him in his place."_ He said as he pushed off the wall.

"Easy, Mahad." Kyo said quickly. "Winning would probably be worse." Not that she thought she could, but if by some fluke she did, she didn't want to find out what Seto would think.

* * *

Seto was waiting on the lawn already. He and Kisara were standing by the fountain, conversing in low voices as Kyo approached. The Divine Dragon floated nearby, soaking up the sun.

It looked over, and Kisara followed its gaze to Kyo.

"All set?" Seto queried, turning and raising his arm. "Let's duel."

Kyo swallowed. "Right." She started up her dueldisk.

"I'll start things off." Seto said as he drew. "I summon Lord of Dragons in attack mode!"

 _Attack mode?_ Kyo wondered. _He's definitely not done._

"Next, I'll activate Flute of Summoning Dragon. This lets me summon two dragons from my hand directly to the field, so come forth, Divine Dragon Ragnarok and Axe Dragonute!" Seto called as the two dragons burst into view behind him. "Then I'll activate Dragon's Mirror. This lets me fuse Lord of Dragons and Divine Dragon Ragnarok together to form King Dragun!"

 _…Ugh. Talk about a great opening hand…_ Kyo thought.

"Now, King Dragun's special ability lets me summon a dragon from my hand directly to the field, so come forth, Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

 _Are you KIDDING me?!_

The white dragon burst into the daylight sun, and Seto started laughing as it roared its challenge to the skies.

Kyo stared at him.

"That's enough for one turn." Seto said with a smirk. "Your move, kid."

She gave him an annoyed look. _Overkill much?_ She grumbled. _Three monsters on the field with over two thousand attack points, all resistant to effects, and we haven't even_ started _yet!_

 _"That's definitely him."_ Mahad muttered beside her. _"He could never resist showing off."_

Kyo sighed. _This isn't going to end well._ She took a deep breath, then reached for her deck. "My move!" _Well. It's just a test, anyway._ She reminded herself as she took stock. _Let's see if I can make it past the first round, at least._ "I summon Apprentice Magician in defense mode!" She called. "Then I activate Spell Absorption! Now, every time I activate a spell, I gain five hundred life points."

 _Which is actually nice that I'm getting this so early in the game._ She thought, turning back to her hand. _Actually, now that I'm paying attention, my hand's not half-bad either._ She looked up. _Still not up to facing the Blue-Eyes, but I'll worry about that if I survive this next turn._

"Then I activate Secret Village of the Spellcasters! Now, as long as I have a spellcaster on the field and you don't, you can't activate spells." _Would have been nice before his move, but..._ "Since I've activated a spell card, I gain five hundred life points thanks to Spell Absorption." She spread her hand out. "I'll finish by placing this card facedown."

"Not bad." Seto said. "Not _impressive_ , but not bad."

She pulled a face.

"My move." He drew. "Axe Dragonute, attack her Apprentice Magician!"

The dragon launched forward, and her apprentice braced himself briefly before being cut in half.

"When Apprentice Magician is destroyed, I can set another apprentice from my deck in defense mode." Kyo said.

"King Dragun, attack her other Apprentice Magician!" Seto commanded, practically before she had even gotten the card on the field.

"And I can set another spellcaster –this time, my Magical Undertaker– to the field." She added.

"Blue-Eyes, wipe out her monster with white lightning!"

 _Sheesh._ Kyo grumbled. "Magical Undertaker lets me summon a spellcaster from my grave in defense mode, and I choose to bring back one of my Apprentice Magicians!"

"That'll do for now." Seto folded his arms.

"My move." Kyo drew with some relief. "I tribute my Apprentice Magician in order to summon my Dark Magician Girl!" She declared, raising the card. The magician vanished, and the magician girl burst into view in his place. She did a quick twirl, giving Kyo a wink, and turned back to the field.

Seto smirked. "Nice try, but I'm afraid your little magician's not going to cut it."

"Not yet, anyway." Kyo said lightly. "Now, I activate Secret Sanctuary of the Spellcasters! As long as this card is on the field, any monster you summon while I control another face-up spell card and you don't cannot attack or activate its effects the turn it's summoned."

Seto inclined his head.

"Plus, I get another five hundred life points, thanks to Spell Absorption." She lifted a card. "Then I'll activate another spell card. Go, Dark Burning Attack!" She shot it into the dueldisk. "With Dark Magician Girl on the field, I can use this to wipe out all monsters on your side of the field. Go!"

The Dark Magician Girl leapt up out of the sanctuary and raised her rod, spinning around and firing three balls of pink energy laced with purple rings.

Seto snorted. "Well, when a dragon on my side of the field is sent to the graveyard, I can summon Keeper of the Shrine from my hand in defense mode. Normally, if one of the dragons sent to my graveyard is a normal monster, I can move it back to my hand, but your little Sanctuary has that tied up. Oh well." He shrugged in mock disappointment.

 _Oh well indeed._ Kyo grumbled. Dark Magician Girl threw another fit, pouting as she dropped back down. _I wiped out his entire field, and I_ still _can't get at his life points!_

"Then I end my turn." She said.

He drew. "You need to learn how to capitalize on a move like that." He said. "You can't let up on your opponent even for a second." He raised his card. "Because now I summon Arkbrave Dragon to the field in attack mode!"

Kyo started.

"Keeper of the Shrine counts as two tributes for a dragon-type monster, so he's the perfect offering for my great beast." Seto grinned. "Come forth, Arkbrave Dragon!"

Kyo looked up as the white-and-gold dragon rose up in a shower of sparks, roaring its challenge in imitation of Blue-Eyes.

 _He doesn't have a single wasted card._ She thought, half-exasperated and half-admiring. _It's one right after another. Every single one has a way to get on the field, even if it normally should be harder to summon._ She looked back at Seto. _This is what I was afraid of. He's the best duelist on the planet._

"Fortunately for you, he can't attack, so I end my turn." Seto said with ease.

 _Well, at least I made it to the third round…_ She thought. _Dang, three rounds already?_ She drew. "I set a monster facedown, and switch my Dark Magician Girl to defense mode." _I can't do anything else right now._

"Hmph. You're going to have to do better than that to impress me." Seto drew. "Arkbrave Dragon, attack her Dark Magician Girl!"

Kyo flinched as the attack struck true. _Sorry, Dark Magician Girl…_

"Now that you have no spellcasters on the field, your Secret Sanctuary is destroyed." Seto said as the ruins crumbled away. "And with no spellcasters in your village, I'm free to play spell cards again." He lifted the card. "Like Pot of Greed."

Kyo shifted.

"Then I'll activate Silent Doom! This lets me bring back one monster from my grave in defense mode, but it can't attack." Seto smirked as his Blue-Eyes returned, crouching defensively. "So I'll sacrifice it." He said coldly. "Along with Arkbrave Dragon." He lifted his last card. "To summon my second Blue-Eyes White Dragon to the field!" He finished with a dramatic shout, spreading his arms and laughing as the second of his signature monsters burst into view.

 _Great. Back to square one._ Kyo thought.

"Plus, since Arkbrave has been sent to the graveyard, I get to summon a dragon from my graveyard during the next standby phase." Seto smirked. "You know what that means."

 _That I'm getting schooled. Thoroughly._ She drew. Her eyes widened, and she grimaced. _Damn it! This would help, but I can't use it while my village is in play!_ She'd drawn Transcendent Wings; perfect for a retaliation. But ironically, her Village of the Spellcasters was backfiring; without any spellcasters, she wouldn't be able to activate any spells.

He lifted his hand. "Thanks to Arkbrave's special ability, my Blue-Eyes returns to the field!"

She looked up at the dragon, then down at her hand again and grimaced. "I end my turn."

"Too bad." Seto went for his deck. "If that was all you've got, then I'm not impressed. You'd better try harder if you want to make it to the tournament."

Kyo braced herself.

"Blue-Eyes, attack her facedown monster, now!" Seto roared, and the Blue-Eyes, echoing his roar, charged up a blast of white lightning before striking.

"You just destroyed my Winged Kuriboh." Kyo said. "Which means I won't receive any damage to my life points for the rest of my turn."

Seto gave her an annoyed look. "I always hated those stupid little puffballs."

Her mouth twitched in humor. _I wonder if Dad used them against him too._

 _Or the Pharaoh…_

"Well. You've bought yourself another turn." Seto said, folding his arms. "Don't screw it up."

 _No kidding._ She drew. "My move!" _Mahad!_ She looked up at the magician beside her, and he nodded back. "I activate Eternal Soul!" She declared, activating her facedown card. "This lets me summon a Dark Magician from my hand or graveyard, and since Palladium Oracle Mahad is treated as a Dark Magician, I'll summon him!"

He launched forward into the tablet, then emerged on the other side and landed in a crouch before getting to his feet.

"When he's summoned, he automatically gains two Spell Counters." Kyo continued. "And with each Spell Counter I remove from my side of the field, I can increase his strength by five hundred, giving him thirty-five hundred attack points! Go, Mahad! Attack his Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

He launched into the air, golden energy swirling around him, and fired a blast of gold light. Kyo smiled as the wave of power washed over the field.

 _Okay. Now we're back on track._ She thought as Mahad landed before her. _Of course, he's still got another Blue-Eyes, but with Eternal Soul on the field, I can revive Mahad every turn. Plus, he'll get another two Spell Counters, giving him the ability to defend against his attack._

 _Wow, I'm actually holding my own here!_

"Keeper's ability activates," Seto said with a supreme lack of concern, "When Blue-Eyes is destroyed, Keeper of the Shrine gets summoned back from the graveyard. And if the dragon sent to the graveyard is a normal monster, I can add it back to my hand."

 _That Keeper's going to be a problem._ Kyo thought. "I end my turn."

He smirked. "Now, I'll tribute my Keeper once again to summon my Blue-Eyes!" He lifted his hand and clenched it. "Blue-Eyes White Dragon, wipe out her magician!"

Mahad braced himself, but the lightning overpowered his defenses, and he disappeared.

"I activate Eternal Soul to bring back Mahad!" Kyo declared, and the tablet lit up; a moment later, Mahad reappeared, making a quick motion as if dusting off his armor.

Seto smirked again. "Back for more punishment, are you?"

Mahad's eyes narrowed, and Kyo saw his fist clench.

"I'll place one card facedown and end my turn." Seto folded his arms. "Make your move."

"I draw." Kyo said. "Then I'll set one monster facedown. Mahad!" She stretched out her hand. "Activate your special ability and power up with your Spell Counters, then attack his Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

He charged up, then powered forward with a shout.

"I'm afraid not." Seto said. "I activate Shadow Spell!"

Chains shot up out of the ground, wrapping around Mahad and stopping him in his tracks.

"Thanks to this, your magician not only can't attack, he can't switch position, and he loses seven hundred attack points." Seto said in a faint sneer. "Better luck next time, Mahad."

Kyo blinked as Mahad trembled with anger. _Is he… actually talking to Mahad?_ She frowned. _I thought he didn't think they were real…_

She heard a low growl, and her eyes widened. _Mahad? Are you okay?_

He didn't answer.

"Well, I can't do anything else, so I end my turn." She said.

"And with that, your magician loses the attack points he gained, leaving him wide open to annihilation." He drew a card. "Your magician is definitely powerful, but you should never rely on one card to save you. Especially when his strength is also his weakness."

Kyo blinked.

"I activate A Wingbeat of Giant Dragon!" He shouted, raising the card. "All I have to do is return one Blue-Eyes to my hand, and all your spells and traps are destroyed." He pointed. "Including your magician's tablet."

She stiffened, and one of the Blue-Eyes started beating its wings with gusto.

"Of course, when your tablet goes, your whole field goes." Seto said coldly.

Kyo flinched as the tablet shattered, and her monsters went with it.

"Which leaves you with nothing on the field to protect you." He noted with finality. "Blue-Eyes White Dragon, attack her life points directly with White Lightning!"


	32. Out of the Frying Pan

Kyo braced herself against the stream of white energy, but Mahad appeared transparently beside her to weather the blast.

 _Well, that about went as I expected,_ She thought as she straightened. _Thanks, Mahad._

He took up the place beside her. _"Of course, Milady. This duel isn't over yet."_

She gave him a rueful look. _I suppose. But I did just lose my best monster._

He smiled. _"I would hardly be worth mentioning if I let that stop me."_

She smiled back and turned. "All right. My move." She drew. _Well, this might help._ "I set one card facedown and end my turn."

Seto's eyes narrowed. "You're going to have to do better than that, kid." He said as he drew. "Blue-Eyes, attack her directly again!"

"I activate Mirror Force!" She said quickly, throwing out her hand.

The dragon charged up and fired, but instead of Mahad weathering the attack, a shimmering barrier appeared around them, and the attack rebounded. The Blue-Eyes snarled as the blast struck, shattering it.

Seto laughed. "Like I said, you're going to have to do better than that."

She blinked.

"When a dragon's destroyed, I can summon Keeper of the Shrine from my graveyard." Seto explained. "And of course, that means I get to bring Blue-Eyes back from the graveyard as well." He drew the cards. "Plus, I activate Last Will; since a monster was sent to the graveyard, I can summon another one from my deck as long as it has fifteen hundred attack points or fewer."

She started, then grimaced.

"I choose the Dragon Dwelling in the Cave, in defense mode."

She blinked. _Why that one? Does he only have the one Keeper? Or…_

"Now, I tribute Keeper of the Shrine to summon my Blue-Eyes back to the field!" He lifted his hand over his head, and the Blue-Eyes burst into the sky above him.

 _And we're right back where we started._ Kyo thought. _That turn was literally pointless. It just made him stronger._

"You might want to do something _productive_ this turn." Seto taunted, folding his arms. "All that did was waste my time."

Kyo bristled. "Fine." She drew. "You want productive?" She added a little angrily, lifting her arm. "Then I banish Winged Kuriboh and Apprentice Magician from my graveyard to summon Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning!"

He started, his eyes widening, and she grinned. A waft of chaos flooded the field, and a rift appeared on her side of the field. Out of the rift stepped the blue-clad warrior, clutching a wicked scimitar. A second waft of power rippling across the ground as the soldier landed on the grass, its gaze turning up to the dragon overhead.

The rift closed.

"Black Luster Soldier, banish his Blue-Eyes from the field!" Kyo shouted, clenching her fist.

The soldier crouched and launched itself into the air, raising its sword. With a fierce cry, the sword swung down, humming through the air, and another rift appeared in the center of the field. The Blue-Eyes snarled in defiance, but the rift's pull dragged it forward and out of sight.

"And since your dragon was banished instead of sent to the graveyard, your Keeper of the Shrine doesn't activate." Kyo continued. "Which means you can't use it to bring Blue-Eyes back to the field."

Seto blinked at her, and she got the feeling she'd finally made a dent. He smirked. "Well. Not bad, kid." He said dryly. "I have to admit I was not expecting you to get even this far." He drew. "But playtime's over."

She stiffened. _Damn it! There's_ more _?!_

"Now _I_ banish a light and dark monster from my graveyard!" He declared. "And I choose Axe Dragonute and Arkbrave Dragon! By removing them from the game, I can summon Chaos Emperor Dragon – Envoy of the End!"

Kyo did a quick tally and groaned. _There is, in fact, more._ She winced.

"All I have to do is give up one thousand life points to activate Chaos Emperor Dragon's special ability." Seto announced. "With that, he can send every card in our hands and on the field to the graveyard, inflicting three hundred points of damage to you for each card sent." He lifted his fingers. "That's five. So you lose fifteen hundred life points."

The dragon reared back, then shot a stream of energy at the ground, engulfing the entire field in a destructive wave of fire. Black Luster Soldier vanished, and the dragons soon followed.

"But there's more. Since dragons were sent to the graveyard, Keeper of the Shrine comes back to the field. And since one of them was the Dragon in the Cave, I get to bring Blue-Eyes back to my hand as well." Seto laughed.

Kyo's shoulders slumped. _I lost._ She realized tiredly.

"Come forth, Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" Seto roared.

The Keeper vanished yet again, and once again, she was facing a Blue-Eyes with nothing. Only this time, she had fifteen hundred life points.

 _Well. We gave it a good shot._ She decided, straightening and squaring her shoulders.

Seto gazed back, and for a moment, there was silence.

"Nice work, kid." He said at last, folding his arms. "For a minute there I thought you were second-rate. But while you're obviously no match for me, you _do_ possess some talent."

She waited.

"There's only one thing left I want to test." He said. He smirked. "How you fare against an Egyptian God card."

She stiffened, her eyes widening. _What?!_

He didn't look like he was joking.

She grimaced. _I can't believe this. He beat me with Blue-Eyes, and he wants to pit me against_ Obelisk _?!_

Mahad bristled beside her.

"I suggest you prepare yourself, Kyo." Seto said with interest. "Because it won't be long."

She glanced down at her dueldisk. _My best monsters are already in the graveyard._ She thought, looking up again. _And even if I had them, they aren't strong enough to take on an Egyptian God…_

"I'd make a move if I were you." Seto said after a moment. "Unless you want to forfeit."

She stiffened.

"Not that I'd blame you." He continued. "The threat of an Egyptian God is enough to make anyone nervous. But you've already faced Slifer the Sky Dragon, or at least a cheap knockoff. So if you can take down a fraud, let's see how you handle the real thing."

 _Yeah, but I passed out last time._ Kyo gritted her teeth. _It's not like I even have a shot at this point…_

 _"Milady,"_ Mahad stepped closer to her. _"If he does summon the Tormentor, I will protect you."_

She looked up at him. _Mahad…_

He placed a hand on her shoulder. _"I swore to protect you. I will not let you come to harm."_

She blinked, then inclined her head. _Thank you, Mahad. Hopefully it won't come to that._ She turned. "All right. If you're not going to attack, then it's my move."

"Glad you agree." Seto said dryly. "I don't have all day."

She drew. "Very well then. I summon Defender the Magical Knight in defense mode!"

The knight appeared and lifted his large shield. A stone was embedded in the center of the shield, and it lit up as he crouched.

"When he's summoned, he gains one Spell Counter." Kyo said. "But I'll explain more about that later. Back to you."

"It's about time." Seto drew. "I activate Card of Demise!" He said. "This lets me draw five cards, as long as I discard my entire hand in five turns." He drew again, then started laughing.

She felt a little chill.

"Now, I activate Fiend's Sanctuary!" He announced. "This lets me summon a Fiend Metal Token to the field." He lifted three cards. "And I have three."

 _Are you KIDDING ME?!_

Mahad tensed beside her. _"Here it comes."_

"And now," Seto said with what could only be described as glee, "I sacrifice all three of my Fiend Metal Tokens in order to summon Obelisk, the Tormentor!"

The three tokens vanished, and the ground began to shake under their feet as clouds gathered overhead. Seto's laughter faded into a deep rumble, and the mighty presence of Obelisk began to stretch across the ground.

But as the head and shoulders of the blue divine beast emerged from the earth, a new power swept across the field. Deep rifts carved through the earth, and out of them arose a twisted presence Kyo was rapidly growing familiar with – the presence of the Phantom.

"No!" She gasped aloud, but the chaos shot up and into the Egyptian God, twisting it even as it emerged onto the field.

"What the–" Seto looked up, startled, as Obelisk's appearance warped and mutated before his eyes. "There must be some kind of glitch–"

"Mr. Kaiba!" Kyo gasped.

"FATHER!" Kisara screamed as the Phantom God's hand slammed down on Seto.

Kyo's heart turned to ice, and beside her, Kisara sobbed with horror. "No way…" Kyo took a step back. _Is he…_

But then the claw lifted, and they saw Seto lying on the grass. As the hand pulled away, though, he was lifted up as if by invisible strings. Shadows swirled around him briefly, and Kisara gasped as the Phantom's power transformed her father. His jacket turned black, and spines emerged, curling around to seize him in a demonic grip.

"Father?" Kisara called worriedly, taking a step forward.

"Wait, Kisara!" Kyo shouted back. "Stay back!"

Kisara rounded on her. "He just got attacked by Obelisk, and you're just standing there?!"

"It's the Phantom!" Kyo retorted. "If you aren't careful, it will do the same to you! Now summon your Divine Dragon already!"

She blinked.

The twisted god shifted, rumbling, and Kyo gave a start. "Kisara!"

At last, she stepped back, and her Blue-Eyes appeared above her, roaring a defiant cry.

The Phantom straightened, its voice reverberating through the ground as it clenched its fists. _"I summon myself: Raviel, Lord of Phantasms!"_

Kyo's eyes widened as it rounded on her.

 _"And now, I will tear you apart!"_

The fist came down, and Kyo yelped, falling back.

 _"Milady! Activate Defender, now!"_ Mahad shouted as he darted between them.

"I activate Defender's special ability!" She said quickly. "By removing his Spell Counter, I can prevent his destruction!"

The fist struck, and shockwaves shot across the field.

"Kyo!" Kisara shouted. "Are you all right?"

She staggered. "Mahad?" She called, looking around. As the smoke cleared, she saw he was still standing, his protective shield fading as the claw drew back. "Mahad, are you all right?"

 _"For now."_ He said quietly, looking up. _"But this may be a problem."_ He looked back at her, and she knew exactly what he meant.

"Kyo?" Kisara repeated.

"I'm fine," She called back. _But this is bad._ She stared up at Raviel as he towered over the field and a mutated Seto. _Even while he was possessed, Sirius didn't look like that. And the duel's still technically in progress._ She looked down at her dueldisk. _I'm down to just fifteen hundred life points, and Mahad and Black Luster Soldier are already in the graveyard._

 _And now, the stakes are so much higher…!_

 _"Your move."_


	33. Into the Fire

_I can't win._ Kyo thought miserably as she stared up at the Phantom God towering over her. _I'm going to lose._

 _"I will not allow you to come to harm, Milady."_ Mahad said bravely. _"If we truly do lose this duel, I will take your place."_

She stared up at him. "But Mahad…" She bit her lip. _I can't! He can't… if we lose…_ She trembled. "If we lose, he'll go after Kisara next. You have to help her."

 _"I will not abandon you."_ He said firmly. _"I am but a spirit, and it is your power that holds these beasts in check."_ He glanced back, and she saw a strange look in his eyes. _"And I would never forgive myself if I let anything happen to you."_

She gazed back, her heart chilling.

Raviel rumbled. _"Make your move, or forfeit!"_

Kyo stiffened and stepped forward. Her fists clenched, and Mahad gave her a quiet nod. She nodded back, and he turned back to face the Phantom God.

 _I can't lose._ She thought. _Too much is at stake._ She glanced at Mahad's back, though she kept her thoughts private. _At the very least, I can't let him sacrifice himself for me. And I haven't actually lost yet, so…_

 _Please, Heart of the Cards, guide me._

"I draw!" She declared, in case Raviel needed to hear that she was still in the fight, and not just see it. _Okay. Raviel is powerful, but if Uria was anything to go by, then he's not going to have the same abilities as Obelisk. Hopefully, he won't have infinite attack strength if he sacrifices two monsters._

 _Even if he does, though, Defender should still be able to protect my life points anyway. As long as I give him another Spell Counter._ She lifted the card. _Luckily, this should help._ "I summon Alchemist of Black Spells in attack mode!"

The spellcaster turned out of thin air and folded his arms.

 _"When you summon a monster normally, a Phantasm Token is summoned."_ Raviel rumbled, stretching out his arm. Darkness descended from the vast claw, and a black winged humanoid fiend formed.

 _Okay, that's new._ Kyo thought. _But it's not very powerful. So it must have some other use._

"All right. Alchemist–" She raised her hand, but at that moment, a beam of evil green light emitted from the clouds overhead, striking the ground in a pillar of malevolent power.

Dartz stepped out as it faded, and his expression soured as he took in the scene. "I see I'm late to the party." He grimaced. "Kaiba, what have you done?"

"Lord Dartz!" Kyo exclaimed, startled. "How did you– where did you come from?"

"Well, the last method I used wasn't nearly fast enough, so I prepared something a little faster." Dartz said. "But it looks like I'm still too late. Damn it all. What were you two dueling for in the first place?" He demanded.

"He wanted to test out my deck…" Kyo said slowly.

Dartz blinked. "And how is that working out?"

She gave him a flat look. "You have to ask?" She muttered sarcastically.

"Actually, yes." Dartz said, setting a hand on his waist. "He's only ever beaten you once."

"You mean he's only ever beaten the _Pharaoh_ once." Kyo retorted. "And unfortunately, that trait doesn't seem to have transferred."

"Oh, it has," Dartz said. "That is the power of your soul, and _that_ hasn't changed. It's merely a matter of your inexperience. You don't know how to draw it out."

Kyo gave him a sideways look. "Think you could give me a crash course? I don't exactly have a lot of time to figure it out on my own."

He pulled something out of his pocket and flicked it over. She caught it and received a nasty shock when she recognized it.

"I can't play this!" She gasped in horror.

"Well, as you so aptly noticed, we don't have time for a lesson in tapping the power of one's soul." Dartz said. "The Orichalcos can at least draw out the darkness in your soul and amplify it."

She cringed. That wasn't a side of her she wanted to show off. She knew enough to know it wouldn't be pretty.

"You were able to break free of the darkness before, and you were ultimately the one to defeat the Leviathan once and for all." Dartz continued. "I'm confident you have the power you need to overcome the shadows."

"And if you're wrong?" Kyo asked, her eyes both drawn to and repulsed by the card in her hand.

"We don't have any other options." Dartz said. "We can't afford to let this beast escape with Obelisk. Now play that card!"

 _I can't!_ She looked up. _Mahad…_

He didn't meet her eyes.

She looked across at Raviel, then down at Seto, who was looking positively ghoulish, his normally clear blue eyes turned a dull gray, as if all the light had been sucked out.

 _"Make your move, or forfeit."_ Raviel repeated, shifting.

She looked down at the card.

"Please," She whispered. "Forgive me for whatever I might do."

 _"Do what you must."_ Mahad said quietly.

She flinched. _Damn it._ "Now I activate…" She lifted the card and closed her eyes. "The Seal of Orichalcos!"

Her dueldisk's field spell slot opened, and she dropped the Seal into it.

The rush of power was incredible. Energy poured into her, just as it had when Ra possessed her body. But this time, it was under her control. She laughed in relief and spread her arms, and the Seal shot out from around her.

Mahad vanished, and a part of her felt a flash of concern, but it was temporary; all she cared about now was the power she had just unleashed. The Seal expanded across the field to envelop Raviel and Seto, and she felt it surging through her.

 _I don't know what I was so worried about._ She thought with amusement. _It's not controlling me at all. No, all this power_ serves _me!_

She lowered her arms and smirked. "Well now. Looks like you're out of luck, Raviel. Thanks to the Seal of Orichalcos, you cannot escape." She lifted a hand, her voice darkening. "I will seal you away for all eternity!"

Kisara started and looked up at Dartz. "What did you do to her?"

Dartz's expression was faintly disappointed. "Mm. I _had_ hoped that, as the Pharaoh had already overcome the darkness, she would be resistant to it… but it seems that is not the case." He glanced down at her. "Your friend has fallen under the influence of the Orichalcos. As I said, her darkness has been brought out and amplified. She is stronger now, but so is the darkness in her heart, making it that much more difficult to overcome."

"But how do we stop it?" Kisara asked. "Why do you use something so evil?"

Dartz glanced back at the field. "Observe."

"Now, my monsters, feel the power of the Orichalcos!" Kyo smirked and spread her arms, and the energy flowed obediently from her to infect… no, to empower them. They both growled, growing in strength, and she gave a wicked laugh. "Now, Alchemist of Black Spells, eradicate his Phantasm Token!"

The spellcaster launched a sphere of black energy.

"But she could have destroyed that token without this." Kisara noted. "Can't she fight without it?"

"I assume she explained why." Dartz glanced at her. "Seeing as you know so much about the situation already."

Kisara hesitated. "She said you use it to contain the Phantom's chaos."

"Precisely." Dartz inclined his head.

"But it's so _evil_!" Kisara burst out. "Isn't chaos better than straight-up evil?"

"Chaos rips everything apart." Dartz said quietly. "Believe me, if there was another power we could use, I would use it. But even after sealing the Phantom with her soul, Kyo has only forced it to duel, and it is still extremely powerful. The Orichalcos is the only way to contain the damage, and _that_ is better than letting it run amok, regardless of the cost."

Kisara bit her lip. "But… what will happen? Is Kyo…"

"The situation is not completely hopeless." Dartz reassured her. "After all, she's broken through the Seal before, albeit in another lifetime. And Kaiba is an extremely powerful and much more experienced soul. If he can summon his signature monster, he may be able to break free of the Phantom's control."

"Lastly, I activate Alchemist's special ability, switching him to defense mode." Kyo said. "This lets me place one Spell Counter on any card on my side of the field that can take Spell Counters. And I choose my Defender." The stone lit up, and her mouth twitched. "Now, let's see what you've got."

"I… draw." Seto said, his voice faint and hollow, but Raviel overrode him.

 _"Activate Soul Absorption, then activate Dragon Shrine. Send Blue-Eyes White Dragon from the deck to the graveyard."_

Seto complied, but his movements were stiff.

 _"Since monster was normal, send Tempest, Dragon Ruler of Storms as well."_ Raviel continued, and Seto obeyed. _"Next, activate Tempest's ability. Banish Blue-Eyes White Dragons from hand and graveyard to summon Tempest!"_

Kisara started. "If he does that, he won't be able to summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" She stepped forward. "NO! Father, don't do it! Don't banish your Blue-Eyes!"

He stopped and stirred. "Kisara…"

 _"Banish Blue-Eyes!"_ Raviel commanded.

"Having a little trouble?" Kyo taunted, and Kisara looked around at her. "Your little puppet not doing what you say? And here I thought you were all-powerful." She sneered, setting a hand on her hip. "Guess you're not all you're cracked up to be, Phantom. You won't be getting your dragon that way."

Raviel growled.

"I… summon…" Seto gritted. "I summon Blue-Eyes, with Keeper of the Shrine!"

Kisara's eyes widened. "He did it!"

The dragon burst onto the scene and roared, then turned to give Raviel a furious look.

"Blue-Eyes…" Seto reached up towards the dragon as if reaching for a lifeline. But as the dragon looked back at him, his eyes dimmed again, and he slumped.

 _"Banish Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Chaos Emperor Dragon!"_ Raviel commanded, and they could feel the weight of his will pressing down like a mountain. And to Kisara's horror, he complied.

"What?" She looked back at Dartz. "Why didn't he break free?"

Dartz's expression was again disappointed. "I was afraid of this. Kaiba may be a powerful soul, but he willfully ignores magic, which makes it much harder to break free from its control." He glanced over at her. "After all, if you think you're just hallucinating, it's different than consciously fighting against someone trying to control your mind."

Kisara's eyes widened. She looked back at the field as Tempest burst onto the scene next to the other two. "I don't think he does." She said quietly.

Dartz blinked and glanced over at her.

"I mean, I think he recognizes it, at least on some level." She looked up at him. "We were fighting against Uria, and he didn't stop the duel when we went off the tracks. He's not that obsessed with finishing a duel, not if our lives were in danger."

Dartz gave her a strange look. "That's true. If he fully ignored it, he would not have been able to summon Blue-Eyes." He sighed. "But he is fighting very hard _not_ to accept the truth, and _that_ is holding him back."

"But why?" Kisara asked. "That doesn't make any sense. He's not the kind of person to lie to himself." She said, albeit more confidently than she felt. "Not if lives were on the line."

Dartz's expression clouded. "I'm not so sure it's by choice, Kisara." He said softly.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

He didn't answer.


	34. A Lack of Faith

_"I attack–"_

"No," Seto said stiffly, his eyes fixed on his dragon.

There was a pause as Raviel looked down at the Kaiba. _"Attack!"_ He commanded.

Seto shook his head. "Blue-Eyes…"

Raviel looked from him to the dragon, then leaned forward and seized it. _"I tribute Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"_

Seto's eyes widened, but a moment later, the dragon was crushed. He stiffened, then slumped again, his head bowed in submission.

 _"I gain power equal to its attack!"_ Raviel continued, his fist raising. _"Now, ATTACK!"_

Tempest flew forward, pouncing on Kyo's Defender with a snarl.

"I activate Defender's special ability!" Kyo shouted. "With it, he will not be destroyed."

 _"I attack!"_ Raviel roared, plowing his fist down on the now defenseless Defender.

"Keeper… returns," Seto managed, and they looked back at him. "When a dragon… is sent to the graveyard."

Raviel growled in irritation.

"And… Blue-Eyes… back to my hand." Seto continued.

"Hey!" Kyo burst angrily. "You missed your timing! You've already attacked!"

"Blue-Eyes!" Seto shouted, and a ripple of white-blue light passed across the field. Keeper of the Shrine appeared, and the Blue-Eyes in his graveyard returned to his hand.

Kisara blinked.

"Well, at least he managed that much," Dartz said dryly. "Now he has a second chance."

"Cheater!" Kyo growled and reached for her deck. "Well, I'll still defeat you. My move!" She drew. "I activate Pot of Greed! This lets me draw two new cards." She gazed at them for a moment. "Then I'll set them both facedown and end my turn." She lifted her hand. "Remember, your Tempest returns to your hand if it's been special summoned, so say farewell!"

The dragon returned to the dueldisk, and Seto picked it up.

"Now I summon… my Blue-Eyes!" Seto said, a little more clearly than last time.

"Again?" Kyo grumbled, folding her arms. "Don't you have anything _else_ to do?"

Kisara's heart leapt into her throat as she saw the Blue-Eyes take the stage again, and she felt her Blue-Eyes shift in hopeful response. _Come on, Father… break free…!_

He stirred, almost rising, but his eyes were still dull. He clenched his fists, trembling with the effort of trying to throw off the shadow looming over him.

"Hah." Kyo smirked and lifted her hand. "Well, your Blue-Eyes won't be around for long, because now I–"

"STOP! Don't do it, Kyo!" Kisara shouted. "He has to keep his Blue-Eyes!" She wasn't sure exactly which card Kyo was using, but Kyo's declaration left her in no doubt of the result.

Kyo paused, looking over at her.

Raviel bent down. _"I tribute Blue-Eyes!"_

"No!" Kyo snapped.

"NO!" Kisara ran forward, but the Seal blocked her progress. She slammed her fists against the force field. "FATHER!"

Seto watched the claw come down, crushing his dragon, and his eyes dimmed again.

"Damn you, Kisara!" Kyo bristled, rounding on her.

"What did I do?" Kisara asked, taken aback.

"If you hadn't interrupted me, I would have destroyed his Blue-Eyes for good!" Kyo snarled. "Stay out of this, or I'll seal you away next!"

Kisara flinched.

 _"Keeper revives."_ Raviel rumbled. _"And Blue-Eyes returns to the hand."_

She started. _Wait, why is he reviving it?_

 _"I will tear you down, foolish mortal."_ Raviel's deep voice reverberated through the ground. _"You will continue to summon your Blue-Eyes, and I will continue to take it as tribute. And you will not defy me."_

Kisara gasped. "NO!" She slammed her fist against the Seal. "No! Father, you have to wake up! Don't let him do that to Blue-Eyes! You have to WAKE UP!"

"Oh, shut UP, Kisara!" Kyo complained. "Do you ever stop _whining_?!"

 _What?_

"You're such a spoiled little brat! 'Father!' 'Father!'" She danced on the spot in a mocking imitation of Kisara's desperation. She straightened and rolled her eyes. "It's pathetic! Grow up! And stop interrupting us!"

Kisara stopped, stung.

"Remember, this isn't Kyo." Dartz said quietly. "It's the Seal of Orichalcos."

She glanced up at him. "Yeah, but…" She looked back. "You said it takes the darkness in her heart and brings it out."

"And amplifies it to an intense degree." Dartz reminded her. "This is not how she truly feels. Be strong; she will need your forgiveness at the end."

 _"Banish Lancer Dragonute and Dragon Dwelling in the Cave to summon Tempest."_ Raviel commanded, and Seto complied.

"Hah!" Kyo sneered. "I activate Dark Renewal!" She stretched out her arm as the dragon burst onto the scene, and in the middle of the field, a large, dark sarcophagus reared up out of the ground. "When you summon a monster, I can activate it, letting me sacrifice your monster and a spellcaster on my side of the field. Since Alchemist is no longer of any use to me, he goes." She pointed. "And so does your precious Tempest!"

Both monsters were drawn into the sarcophagus.

"Now, I _would_ bring back my Dark Magician, but that fool is a light-attribute monster now, making him useless to me." She pulled out her deck. "Luckily, I have something stronger than him."

 _She didn't even say his name._ Kisara thought. _That definitely isn't Kyo._ It didn't really make her feel better to hear the evil coming out of her sister's mouth, but she knew Kyo would never insult Mahad like that.

"Come forth, Dark Magician of Chaos!" Kyo spread her arms, and the sarcophagus opened again. The magician of chaos slipped out with unnerving silence to take up a spot on Kyo's side of the field.

"Now, feel the power of the Orichalcos!" She thrust out her hand, and the magician stiffened, clutching his head. A moment later, the seal appeared on his forehead, his eyes glowing with a red light. He twirled his staff, and the very air seemed to darken as ripples of evil power spread across the field.

Kisara took a step back.

"If you want to fight chaos, you have to use chaos!" Kyo curled her lip. "And my magician is the master of chaos."

Raviel rumbled. _"I will rip him apart!"_ He thrust his fist down.

Kyo wagged her finger. "Fool." Four magical hats suddenly popped up on her side of the field.

The Phantom God's fist struck earth, and the ground shook. Cracks appeared and spread across the lawn, and Kisara dodged out of the way as one came towards her. Kyo stayed where she was, a smirk on her face.

Raviel lifted his hand away, and the magician emerged from another hat.

"Too bad." Kyo sneered. "As an added bonus, _this_ magician actually does something useful for me, like letting me bring a spell card back from my graveyard. I think I'll choose my Pot of Greed." She lifted it. "So I'll go ahead and activate it, drawing a total of three cards this turn."

Raviel rumbled.

"Now, Dark Magician of Chaos," She swept her arm across the field. "Destroy his Keeper and banish it from the game with Chaos Scepter Blast!"

The magician's lip curled, and he stretched out his staff. An orb of light appeared around the Keeper, quickly filled by an orb of darkness. The orbs exploded, and the Keeper was gone.

"And since your Keeper has been banished, you can't use its effect anymore." Kyo sneered. "Plus, that reduces the number of dragons you have left to banish in order to summon your precious Tempest, so it looks like you're down two dragons."

Raviel's eyes narrowed. _"Life points gained for monsters banished."_

"Oh, like that will make any difference in the end." Kyo rolled her eyes. "But by all means, don't let me stop you." She added with a laugh. "That will make your defeat all the slower and sweeter."

 _"I will destroy you."_ Raviel growled.

"I don't think so." Kyo lifted a card. "Not while I have this card. I summon Magician's Valkyria to the field in defense mode!" She announced.

The Valkyria appeared and looked around in horror, but a moment later, the Orichalcos's darkness had infected her, too.

"You see, I knew I still had to contend with your precious twisted god," Kyo explained. "And unfortunately, my magician isn't quite strong enough to defeat it yet. So, I'll have my Valkyria take the hit instead."

Kisara grimaced. "Come on, Kyo." She begged. "Snap out of it! This isn't you!"

 _"When a monster is summoned, a Phantasm Token is born."_ Raviel announced.

Kisara turned her attention back to the other side of the field. _Father…_ Now that Keeper was banished, he wouldn't be able to summon his Blue-Eyes to the field. And with Tempest in play, all Raviel had to do was draw another dragon monster, and he'd be able to banish the last Blue-Eyes as well.

Seto drew, and for a moment, there was silence. "I activate… Cost Down!" He said, lifting the card. "And tribute… my Phantasm Token!"

Kyo stiffened, and Kisara felt another burst of hope. _Maybe this time!_

"Come forth, Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" Seto called yet again, and yet again, the dragon appeared on the field.

"How many times are you going to summon that thing?" Kyo grumbled. "It obviously isn't doing you any good."

Kisara hesitated. _As much as I hate to admit it, she has a point._ She bit her lip. _It doesn't seem to be helping him at all. Raviel's just going to sacrifice it in order to power himself up._

"Well? Are you going to tribute it or not?" Kyo demanded.

Raviel was silent, and Kisara blinked. _Wait… what?_

The Phantom God growled. _"No. It must attack."_

Seto stirred, his eyes seeming to clear a little. "Blue-Eyes…!" He reached out. "Attack with… White Lightning!"

Kyo stiffened. "My Valkyria!" She gasped as the dragon roared, powering up.

Kisara's eyes widened. "Kyo!" Using his dragon seemed to be helping, but if he attacked Kyo and won, then Raviel would destroy her soul.

 _"Now, I attack!"_ Raviel roared, drawing back his fist. _"I will tear you apart!"_

Kyo braced herself, and her magician raised his staff in an attempt at defense, but Raviel was far stronger, and the magician was shattered.

"Kyo…?" Seto stirred, blinking and touching his head. "What… what's going on…?"

"Father!" Kisara called. "Father, wake up! You have to stop this duel! Stop Raviel, before it's too late!"

"Stop the duel…?" His eyes narrowed. "Why would I…" He looked up as Raviel towered over him. "What the… I didn't summon that…!"

Raviel growled. _"I summoned myself."_ He reached down. _"And I tribute Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"_

"What? How's it talking?!" Seto started, and his eyes widened. "Blue-Eyes!" He spun around.

The dragon darted around Raviel's grip, snarling in defiance.

"Blue-Eyes–" Seto took a step towards it, but stopped. "What am I… this can't be real…"

The dragon faltered, and Raviel seized it.

"No! Blue-Eyes!" He called, but it was too late. Raviel's grip tightened, and the dragon was crushed yet again. "Blue-Eyes…" He struggled for a moment, but then Raviel's hand came down on him as well.

"Father!" Kisara cried, coming back to the Seal again, but it was no use. The light had drained from his eyes, and he was back under the Phantom God's control.

"Do you see?" Dartz said quietly. "He calls it a trick, and his dragon weakens, allowing Raviel to sacrifice it." He sighed. "You're going to have to face it sooner or later, Kaiba."

"Why?" Kisara asked, looking back at him. "Why is he so… why won't he accept it?"


	35. Sinister Confessions

"Well, now that that little sideshow's done," Kyo folded her arms. "I activate Escape from the Dark Dimension."

Kisara turned back around.

"You see, when my Dark Magician of Chaos leaves the field, he is banished. But that won't stop me." She lifted her hand. "So return to me, Dark Magician of Chaos!"

The magician reappeared, and another wave of malevolent energy seeped through the air.

"And he never comes back to me empty-handed." Kyo said with a smirk. "So I get Pot of Greed back from my graveyard once again!" She sneered. "Plus, you've already attacked this turn, so your little power boost was of no effect. All it did was cost you a monster. Not that Blue-Eyes could have stood up to my magician anyway." She drew. "My move!"

"Kyo!" Kisara shouted, coming back to the barrier and hitting it again to get her attention. "Wake up! This isn't about winning the duel or destroying his Blue-Eyes, this is about saving my father and stopping the Phantom! You have to remember what you're fighting for!"

"Ugh. Do you have any idea how pathetically cliché you sound?" Kyo snorted, shaking her head. "Why don't you do us all a favor and just shut up?"

"Come on, Kyo! You can't be serious!" Kisara balled her fists. "It's the Orichalcos, it's messing with your head! It's controlling you, just like Raviel is controlling my father!"

Kyo glanced at the sky for patience. "The Seal isn't controlling me, Kisara." She said in a patronizing tone. "It's giving me power. And with it, I'm unstoppable!"

"Listen to yourself!" Kisara begged. "You're nothing like that! What would your father think if he could see you now?"

"I don't care what my father thinks!" Kyo burst out in sudden fury, bristling. "He abandoned me! He and Mom went off to travel the world and left ME with this sick, twisted, sadistic excuse for a stepfather!" She pointed dramatically at Seto.

Kisara's eyes widened in shock.

"For _years_ , I was stuck under a tyrant who didn't care what I did, just so long as I didn't bother him!" Kyo grimaced and let her hand fall. "I was careful. I made sure I didn't make a mess or misbehave. My parents couldn't look after me, so I did what I could not to be a dead weight for anyone."

It was all wrong. But as she spoke, Kisara could remember tiny fragments – split seconds of things that had happened. The way Kyo always did her best, the way she always quietly took it whenever Seto berated her. The silent sighs.

"But the only person he _ever_ cared about was you. His pampered little princess." Kyo continued, her voice thick with a hatred that seemed too deep to just be a spell. "I was so naïve. I thought that if I protected you too, he'd at least recognize _that_." Her mouth twitched. "He didn't, but I can't say it was a complete waste. After all, soon everyone knew not to mess with us."

Kisara felt a chill. "What are you saying?" She whispered.

Kyo gave her a fiendish grin. "Didn't you notice? We're bad luck. Anyone who messed with us wound up in a bad way." She snickered. "I may not have had the strength to defend you up front, but I was a _master_ at stabbing people in the back." She gave a wicked laugh. "Oh, I didn't hurt anyone, of course… well, _I_ didn't. But in the end, they all got what they deserved."

Kisara's eyes widened in horror. Other memories were coming back too. Kids who had picked on her one day looking suddenly terrified the next. Kyo telling her she'd catch up… and next thing she knew, the school bully's locker was filled with roaches…

"And the best part was I never got caught." Kyo said with a laugh. "Oh, I'm sure the _teachers_ knew something else was going on, I mean, actual bad luck isn't _real_ , right?" She glanced at Seto, then back. "But they could never pin it on me. And as for the rest, well. No one wanted to hang out with bad luck."

"No! Why would you do that?" Kisara gasped. "We could have gone to someone…" She faltered. "Wait, were you the one… Tim? And Jessica?"

Kyo raised an eyebrow. "I just told you. It's probably safe to assume I'm responsible for _all_ of it." She laughed.

"But why? Why, Kyo?!" Kisara clenched her fists. "Some of that… you could have seriously hurt someone!" There was a buzz in her ears. This wasn't the Orichalcos; those were all things that had happened in the past six years. It was all starting to fall into place, and even if the Orichalcos was bringing it to the surface and amplifying it… it didn't change the fact that she'd done it. "How _could_ you, Kyo? Some of them didn't deserve it!"

"They _all_ deserved it." Kyo hissed. "Every single one of them got _exactly_ what they deserved." She clenched her fists. "But there's one person I haven't delivered justice to yet. The one who tortured us the most." She turned, her vengeful gaze shifting back to Seto. "Well, he's going to get it now, and when I'm through–"

"No!" Kisara clapped her hands over her ears and shook her head. "This can't be! You're my sister. We've always been there for each other. You might have had it hard with your father gone, but you'd never… you'd never do something like that!"

"You're mistaken, Kisara. You don't know the first thing about me." Kyo hissed softly, and a pulse of darkness shot across the field. "But I've finally had enough. With the Seal of Orichalcos, I can at last deliver punishment to this man for every single thing he's done in the past six years!"

"Kyo!" Kisara cried out, but she couldn't take it. Not this. Not her sister.

Not Kyo.

"Hm. That's definitely different." Dartz frowned. "He wasn't like that before."

"Now, where was I?" Kyo queried, then smirked. "Ah yes, I remember. I was going to destroy you and seal you away for good!" She reached for her deck.

Kisara slid to her knees, and in spite of herself, Kyo stopped and looked over at her.

 _Guess it's hard to face the truth._ Kyo thought, her gaze not quite pitying, but close. Her mouth twitched. _Well, the good news is I'll soon be out of her life for good. And she'll be out of mine._

She glanced up at Dartz and saw the disappointment in his eyes. "What are you looking at?" She spat. "If you've got something to say, save it. I'm not interested."

She turned away, reaching for her deck again.

"I'm sorry, Kisara." Dartz said quietly. "I'm not sure even summoning Mahad will fix this. She's a lot worse off than I thought."

 _Mahad._ Kyo's eyes were drawn to her graveyard. She curled her lip. _Hmph. Fools. As if I'd need Mahad to win when I have Dark Magician of Chaos._

She looked up, and the magician glanced back at her, his red eyes gleaming.

 _Time to finish this._ She reached for the Orichalcos, and another wave of dark energy shot across the field.

Dartz hesitated, then lifted his hand. "Damn. I'm going to have to break the Seal."

Kisara looked up. "You can do that?"

"I'm its master, remember?" Dartz's hand glowed with green light. "She's not breaking free."

"Don't you DARE, Dartz!" Kyo snarled.

"It's for your own good, Kyo." Dartz replied, unfazed. He reached out to touch the seal.

A blast of malevolence shot up through the seal, and darkness enveloped Kyo until only her eyes gleamed through the shadow like two pricks of evil light. "The Seal of Orichalcos belongs to ME!" She roared, and the darkness grew to envelop the entire field in a dome of evil energy.

Dartz started and fell back, his eyes widening in shock. "What the– How are you doing that? The Seal should have broken!"

"If you didn't want me to possess it, you should never have handed it to me!" Kyo's voice emitted from somewhere in the darkness. "And now, all of its ancient powers are under MY control!"

Ribbons of dark energy appeared outside the Seal, rippling through the air and slicing through the ground. Dartz grabbed Kisara, dragging her back just in time.

A deep, draconic snarl erupted from within the shadow, and his eyes widened in horror.

"What's that?" Kisara asked, staring hollowly at the darkness. "Did she summon something?"

"That's not possible." Dartz whispered.

"Lord Dartz?" Kisara looked up questioningly.

"The… it's the Leviathan." He breathed.

"The Leviathan?" Kisara frowned. "Didn't you say Kyo –er, the Pharaoh– defeated it?"

"I did." Dartz grimaced. "She must have found a way to bring it back."


	36. Judgment Day

_Now they know everything._ Kyo thought as she stood in the darkness. _Everything I've ever done._

 _It's Judgment Day._

She felt tired. Somehow, this wasn't exactly how she had imagined the truth would come out. Part of her wanted to be relieved. After all, there were no more lies. And she was about to win, so there would be no more cruelty, either. She would finally be free.

 _After everything you put me through…_ She looked across at the demon that had been her stepfather. _It's time you got a taste of your own medicine._

But she didn't move.

 _I'm sorry, Kisara._ Her hand clenched. _But I must do this. It's the only way to fix things._

It was true, after all. Seto had always been hard on both of them. Even if he was trying to help them toughen up, it was no excuse for how he'd acted. He could have been kinder. He could have explained himself. He could have given them a break. Instead, all he had ever done was beat them down.

She grimaced. _She probably hates me now. The only person who ever cared about me._

 _Why should I care? It's her fault too. If she had been stronger, I wouldn't have had to protect her._

She glanced down at her dueldisk. _And now that I'm stronger, Mahad won't have to protect me._ She curled her lip. _It's not like I'm the one he's trying to protect, anyway._

Her eyes grew hot, and her lip curled. _Good riddance._

There was silence.

 _"Because we're friends."_

She winced. _Somehow, I doubt this is what he was picturing._ She thought.

The Dark Magician of Chaos, barely visible in the shadows, turned to glance back at her. _"What are you waiting for?"_ It was Mahad's voice, but it there was an overlay to his tones that made him sound wild. _"Let's finish what we started and destroy him once and for all."_

She gazed back.

His eyes narrowed. _"He deserves this. It's time he was put in his place. Seal him away with the power of the Orichalcos!"_

She looked down at her deck.

 _This isn't how it was supposed to go._

 _"That doesn't matter! Defeat him and win the duel!"_

She closed her eyes, and a tear slid down her cheek. _What have I done?_

* * *

Kisara looked up at Dartz. "What's happening?" She asked uneasily.

He didn't answer immediately. His eyes were focused on the shadow-wrapped field, trying to pierce the veil. The Leviathan's growls could be heard occasionally, but other than that, there was no indication of what might be happening inside.

"I think…" He said slowly, "We may have finally run out of time."

She stiffened.

"The Orichalcos drew out too much darkness. Kyo's soul is too inexperienced to cope." Dartz shook his head. "And now that I've lost control of the Seal, there are only two outcomes left. We face the Phantom in the body of an Egyptian God… or we face the Leviathan."

Kisara's expression darkened. "This is all your fault. You should never have given her that card!"

"My dear, if I hadn't, she would have lost, and we would be facing Raviel anyway." He said quietly. "There was a chance that she could have broken through. There was a chance Seto could have freed himself. But they've both given up. Which means we're out of moves." He bowed his head. "This is the end."

Kisara's eyes widened, and she looked back at the darkness. _No._ She thought.

She felt betrayed. The two people she cared about most in the world… had given up. She couldn't believe it. Her father, the strongest, toughest, most powerful and no-nonsense person she'd ever known was lying to himself. And her best friend, the one whom she'd loved as a sister… was a monster.

 _I can't believe this._ She slid back down to the grass. _I can't believe we lost._

* * *

 _"Why are you hesitating?"_ The magician hissed. _"Draw your cards, and let's finish him off together!"_

The tears wouldn't stop. _What have I done?_ She touched her face, her shoulders shaking.

 _"Since he's useless, I'll sacrifice my Dark Magician."_

 _A Catapult Turtle. Normally, not an issue, but with the power of the Orichalcos in play, these monsters were real._

Hmph. Maybe they'll be more useful to me then.

 _The Dark Magician flew obediently to the turtle's cannon… and then he was gone._

 _"And now that he's gone, he can actually serve a purpose. By strengthening my Dark Magician Girl!"_

 _I did it. I actually did._ She thought. It wasn't hard to believe anymore. She clutched her arm. _I'm not worthy._

The magician growled impatiently. _"Draw a card!"_ He commanded. _"I'll finish him off myself."_

She blinked, looking up.

He spread a hand back towards her, and it started to glow.

"What are you doing?" She asked, startled.

 _"Draw a card, and you'll see."_ He said. _"I swore to protect you, and if you won't finish him off, I will."_

Her eyes widened. _He's changing what I'm going to draw._ She thought, looking down at her deck. _Which means he's probably grabbing something to power himself up with._

She looked across at Seto. _He's going to destroy Mr. Kaiba._

 _"Draw the card already, so I can end this!"_

She hesitated. "I can't." She said.

He looked back.

"I can't let you do that." She elaborated. "I can't let you destroy Kisara's father."

 _"Listen to yourself!"_ His eyes narrowed. _"It's not even him you care about!"_

She shook her head. "No. For once, I'm going to do the right thing." She said, raising her hand.

His eyes widened. _"You can't! You can't surrender!"_

She glared back. "I won't let you destroy him." She stopped, then closed her eyes. "I won't let myself destroy him."

She drew.

* * *

The shadows suddenly shot back, and Kisara gasped in surprise. They were still there, still standing exactly as they had been left, with the same monsters and life points. She came up to the edge. "Father? Kyo?" She called, worried.

Kyo was holding a card. Her magician was glaring at her with an expression that looked positively wild with rage.

"I activate Illusion Magic!" Kyo shouted.

Kisara stopped. _Wait, but that–_ "Kyo, what are you doing?!"

"Setting things straight." Kyo said quietly as she straightened. "By tributing a spellcaster on my side of the field, I can add up to two copies of Dark Magician from my deck or graveyard to my hand."

 _"NO!"_ The magician shouted, but it was no good; his image vibrated, splitting and fading until there was nothing left.

Kyo closed her eyes briefly, then went to her graveyard. "I choose to bring back Palladium Oracle Mahad." She brought it to her hand, but she couldn't sense his presence anymore.

She blinked, then looked around, but he wasn't there. _Mahad…_ She winced. _He's abandoned me._ She closed her eyes and turned back to the field. _Or I've abandoned him._

 _Why did she do that?_ Kisara wondered, confused. _She just gave up a really powerful monster, and she can't summon Mahad without a sacrifice!_

Kyo sighed. "Next, I play Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two more cards." She drew. "Then I activate Monster Reborn!"

 _Oh no!_ Kisara bit her lip. _If she'd played Pot of Greed before she brought Mahad back to her hand, she could have summoned him–_

 _Wait, is that…_

"And I'm using it to bring your Blue-Eyes White Dragon back to the field!" Kyo shouted.

The dragon roared as it emerged, spreading its wings.

Seto stiffened.

"Be strong, Blue-Eyes," She called up as the Orichalcos spread from her. She could see it now; the way it acted and pretended, the way it deceived its user into thinking it served them. _I'm sorry._ She thought, wincing. _Please, forgive me._

The dragon whined as the power coursed through it, strengthening it, yet infecting it as well. Its growl deepened, and its eyes took on a red glint.

"Then I activate Polymerization!" Kyo continued. "This lets me fuse my Blue-Eyes on the field with the Dark Magician in my hand," She lifted Mahad, "To form Divine Dragon Sorcerer!"

But though the card in her hand was the Palladium Oracle, it was a Dark Magician that emerged from it. His eyes were blank, and the presence of Mahad was glaringly absent. He flew up to land on the white dragon's back, staff in hand, and a moment later, the Orichalcos was stamped on his forehead as well.

"I place one card facedown." Kyo hesitated for a moment, then let out a breath. "It's your move."

"Kyo?" Kisara called cautiously. _Does this mean she's back?_

But if Kyo heard her, she didn't answer.

Raviel drew himself up, raising his fist, but Seto was giving him trouble again.

"No… my… Blue-Eyes…" Seto grimaced. "What have you… done to my Blue-Eyes?" His eyes narrowed, and the light started to come back.

 _"I attack!"_ Raviel rumbled, drawing himself up.

"No!" Seto shouted, clutching his head. "I can't attack Blue-Eyes!"

Kisara blinked, and Kyo paused, halfway to her dueldisk.

Raviel growled. _"Attack!"_

"No!" Seto shook himself. "I… won't!"

 _"Do not defy me!"_ The Phantom God snarled with fury.

Seto trembled, then slammed his hand down on the dueldisk in surrender.

There was a stunned silence.

Seto panted, then threw back his head. "KISARAAA!"

Kisara jolted. "Father!" She started running around the Seal.

"Kisara, wait!" Kyo shouted.

 _"I will tear you apart!"_ Raviel roared, rounding on him.

"No!" Kyo gasped, then ran forward. "Blue-Eyes!" She called. She stumbled a little when she saw the golden armor. _Mahad?_ She thought, but a second later, the green light was shooting past her, shrinking down around Seto and Raviel, even as the Phantom God's wrath spiraled down on the mortal below, slamming him into the ground.

"Mr. Kaiba!" Kyo shouted.

"FATHER!" Kisara screamed.

Both Blue-Eyes struck Raviel, and Mahad jumped clear, flying down to join Kyo as she and Kisara pelted towards the fight.

"Orichalcos Kyutora!" Dartz shouted behind them, and a large sea-urchin creature appeared over Seto, creating a small gap between him and the chaotic maelstrom overhead as it sucked in the damage.

"Mahad, help him!" Kyo called, and he darted forward, raising his staff to form a golden shield, but the Orichalcos had encircled its victim at last.

"NO!" Kisara dived, grabbing her father as the Seal started to glow. "Father, don't go!"

"Kis… ara…" Seto managed thickly, reaching up to touch her cheek.

Tears brimmed in her eyes. "Please, don't go." She begged.

"Take care of each other." He said quietly. His eyes glazed over, and he groaned as the Seal narrowed into a beam of light… then vanished.

"FATHER!" Kisara wailed, sobbing into his jacket as it returned to its normal color.

Kyo skidded to a halt beside them and looked up. Raviel was holding the dragons at bay, but even as she turned, he seemed to decide he was done; he transformed completely into a maelstrom and shot away.

Both Blue-Eyes lifted their heads back, letting out their cries of sorrow. Seto's Blue-Eyes faded away, leaving Kisara's alone, howling its pain to the sky.


	37. Bitter Parting

Kyo looked down at the two Kaibas, and felt her spirit grow hollow.

 _I failed._

Mahad landed beside her, and she twitched. _I failed all of them._ She looked away.

"It's all right. He's not gone." Dartz said as he joined them, and they all looked over at him. "Remember, we're in control of the Orichalcos. It may have taken his soul, but that actually saved his life."

Kisara blinked and glared at him through her tears. "Then give him back!" She shouted.

He hesitated. "That may not be wise."

"Why not?!" She bristled, dropping the body and leaping to her feet. "This is all your fault! You were supposed to make sure the Phantom didn't get to the Egyptian Gods! You made Kyo play that evil card, and now his soul's been taken! GIVE HIM BACK!"

"Well, when I said he's not gone, that didn't mean–" He started, but Kisara seized the front of his robes.

"It's either one thing or the other, so which is it? Is he gone, or isn't he?!" She snarled.

"Kisara…" Kyo began.

"Save it!" Kisara snapped at her. "I don't want to hear a word you say! It's your fault too, so just stop!"

Kyo flinched and looked away.

"His soul may have been spared total annihilation," Dartz said, peeling Kisara's grip off his robes. "But Raviel still got his hooks in before the Orichalcos could whisk him away. His soul has been damaged, and putting it back could cause it to disintegrate." He set a hand on his hip. "Fortunately, I know a thing or two about souls. I'm confident I can restore him. It will just take time." He looked up at the clouds. "Unfortunately, Raviel got away."

Kisara trembled with rage. "You think I care about that stupid phantom?! All I care about is Father, and thanks to you two, he's lost his _soul_!"

Dartz's eyes narrowed as he looked back at her. "Stop acting like a child." He admonished.

The Blue-Eyes roared at the same moment that Kisara threw her fist at him. A green light intercepted her attack, and the Seal's evil light erupted around them.

Kisara bounced off, and Dartz's eyes flashed red as she hit the ground.

There was silence.

"Why don't you try _listening_?" He said impatiently. "Your father's not dead, and the only reason he's still breathing is _because_ Kyo played the Seal of Orichalcos."

Kyo kept her gaze averted, and Kisara didn't look at her as she got back to her feet.

"I can heal him, but it will take time. With Raviel on the loose, we have one more Phantom God running around wreaking havoc, and my job is to make sure that doesn't happen." Dartz said. "I can't be in three places at once. With Kaiba down for the count, you need someone to keep an eye on you. I can't do that; I have more than enough to do with keeping track of the Phantom and fixing Kaiba's soul."

"We can take care of ourselves." Kisara said, her tone still dark.

"My dear girl. The Phantom got to Kyo twice with devastating results, and that was _with_ protection. I'm not about to let the two of you wander off on your own." Dartz turned, waving a hand through the air, and a green seal appeared like a mirror, or a computer screen. "Rafael?"

They heard a dragon's roar in the background, and Rafael appeared, his eyes lit with a red light and a seal on his forehead. [Not the best time. Found Uria. Bit of an attitude.]

Dartz nodded. "Then I won't detain you. Good luck." The seal vanished, and he waved his hand again. Another seal appeared. "Joseph?"

There was another dragon's cry, but no answer.

Dartz's eyes narrowed. "He's in a duel." He noted, then started with shock. "No!"

Light filled the seal, and a moment later, it faded away.

"What was that?" Kisara asked, her temper subsiding briefly.

Dartz growled irritably and turned, opening yet another seal. "Joseph, you're one of the chosen duelists. How many times am I going to have to–"

[Ya gotta save him!] Joey interrupted. [My son! He's been captured!]

Dartz's eyes widened. "How? By whom?" He continued his turn and waved his hand again – this time a cloud of smaller seals appeared.

[Dunno. 'E called me. Said 'e knew about the Phantom – knew I was fightin' it.] Joey continued, his fists clenched. [I went home, but he was gone. Kidnapped.]

"Do you know where he was taken?" Dartz asked, reaching through one of the seals and pulling out a small candle.

[Yeah. Warehouse district, couple rows in from de coast.] Joey said. [Dere was a crane out f– Kaiba? What's Kaiba doin' 'ere?] He exclaimed, and Kisara stiffened.

"He was captured." Dartz said. The candle lit with a green flame, and sparks popped out of it, heading to each of the small seals. "Head there, please. We need to locate Joseph's son." He said to them, and they winked out of existence.

[Damn. He don't look too good. What ha– wait, are the girls all right?] Joey called.

"They're fine. They're here with me." Dartz said.

[Dat's a relief. Hey, dat guy I fought,] Joey added, [Be careful. 'E might not 'ave an Egyptian God card, but 'e's got some kinda rainbow dragon thing dat's almost as strong.]

"Rainbow Dragon?" Kisara gasped, and Kyo's eyes widened. "Oh no– Jesse!"

Dartz glanced back. "I take it you know the duelist we're facing?"

"Jesse Anderson." Kisara's expression became tearful. "He uses Crystal Beasts, and his most powerful monster is the Rainbow Dragon."

"Crystal Beasts?" Dartz mused. "But how is that possible? Those aren't spirits, so the Phantom can't possess them."

"He started seeing spirits a few days ago." Kyo said quietly. "The Ruby Carbuncle just showed up one day and followed him home."

Dartz blinked. "Hm. If he had a strong enough bond with the card, I suppose it's possible his ka manifested in that form, but that wouldn't explain the Rainbow Dragon." He frowned. "Unless I somehow managed to miss the birth and reign of a being nearly as powerful as the Egyptian Gods."

"Is that possible?" Kisara asked.

"Not likely." Dartz said. "For ten thousand years, I was trying to fuel the rebirth of the Leviathan with powerful souls. I wouldn't miss something like that." He stopped, staring at Kisara.

"…what?" She asked.

Dartz's expression grew troubled. "Hopefully I'm wrong." He turned back to Joey. "All that aside, I have unfortunate news to report. The Phantom got to Obelisk, and now goes by Raviel, Lord of Phantasms. Rafael is tied up with Uria, and apparently, we have a Rainbow Dragon to contend with as well. Which means all three fragments of the Phantom have found hosts."

[Dat's not good.] Joey muttered.

"No. The Phantom got to Kyo twice now. She managed to escape both times, but the results haven't been pretty." Dartz said. "She needs better protection. The pieces need to be kept separate, and Kaiba needs to be healed."

[Why don' you jus' take 'em back to Atlantis?] Joey suggested. [Dey'd be safe dere, right?]

Dartz hesitated.

[Lord Dartz,] One of the smaller seals reopened.

"Did you find him?" Dartz asked.

[We found someone,] The spirit said almost evasively. [He won't talk, but he was right next to Joey's body.]

[And we saw the Phantom's host leave.]

[Did dey find him?] Joey called. [Sirius, you there pal?]

There was a pause, then they heard some scrambling around.

[Dad? But… but you…]

[Hey, bud!] Joey grinned, relieved. [Sorry for the mix-up. I'm still here. You all right, pal?]

[Y-yeah, but… how?] Sirius asked, confused. [Dat light… your body's still over here!]

[Speakin' o' which,] Joey turned. [Hey, Dartz, mind if you let me outta here?]

Dartz huffed. "As long as you head back this way. These two need looking after, and I need to get back to Atlantis."

[Sure, no problem.]

Dartz clicked his fingers, and the large seal vanished. A moment later, the smaller seal flashed with green light.

[Dad!]

[I'm here. Thanks for lookin' out for me.]

Dartz smiled briefly and spread his arm. "Spirits, bring them to us."

The seal winked out, and he turned. "They will arrive shortly. I will take Kaiba's body with me back to Atlantis."

"I'm coming with you." Kisara said sharply.

"No, you are staying here." Dartz retorted. "I don't have time to keep an eye on you. I need to keep the pieces of the Phantom from wreaking havoc, _and_ I need to heal your father."

"I'm staying with him." Kisara returned stubbornly. She knelt beside his body and clasped his hand. "Wherever he goes, I go."

Dartz's expression soured. "You'll be in the way. You need to stay here with Kyo–"

The Blue-Eyes Divine Dragon roared, interrupting him, and Kisara bristled. "I'll stay out of the way. But I'm coming."

Kyo looked up. "What about Jesse?" She asked, not missing the way Kisara's shoulders tensed when she spoke.

"Unfortunately," Dartz said, "I'm afraid we have too much on our plates as it is already. For the moment, he's useful to them, so he should be all right." He sighed.

There was a pause.

"Fine." He continued. "I'll take you back to Atlantis. But you need to stay out of the way."

"I'll stay here," Kyo suggested, taking a step back. "I'll wait for Mr. Wheeler."

Kisara half-glanced in her direction, but their gazes didn't meet.

Dartz glanced between the two of them and rolled his eyes. "Really, now's not the time to be holding a grudge."

 _Oh, don't point it out…!_ Kyo grimaced and turned away.

"Where are you going?" Dartz queried.

"I'm waiting by the door." She said over her shoulder without looking back.

Dartz watched her go, then glanced back at Kisara. "I'm being serious. She saved your father's life. And I did warn you that the Orichalcos brings out the worst in people and magnifies it a hundredfold."

"That's not it." Kisara said grimly, her gaze switching back to her father.

Dartz gave her a puzzled look, then shook his head. "Well. I suppose we don't have to waste any more time here." He knelt, grasping Seto's other arm. "Brace yourself," He added.

A moment later, they were gone.


	38. Runaway

Kyo glanced up at Mahad. "I'll call if I need anything." She said quietly. "You should get some rest."

He hesitated. _"If you're certain you will be all right."_

She nodded, and he disappeared.

She gazed at the empty lawn for a minute, then turned and headed inside.

"Mr. Roland?" She called.

"He's on leave." One of the staff informed her. "Would you like me to call him, miss?"

"Oh– no," Kyo said. "Just, uh," She paused. "Mr. Kaiba had some urgent business to take care of. He and Kisara had to leave." She said. "I'm about to head out for a bit too. Just wanted to make sure you knew."

"Very kind of you, miss." He said, bowing. "Let us know if you need anything."

"I will." She headed to her room, grabbing her bag and stuffing a spare set of clothes in it. _I have to put a stop to this._ She thought as she packed. _For Dad. For Mom. For Mr. Kaiba._ She paused. _And for Kisara._

She slipped back out and headed down the hall. She didn't know how long it would take, but if Dartz was right, and the Phantom was after her, then it wouldn't take too long. She just had to be ready, this time.

She left by a side door that opened up to a small glen, then paused. _Okay. Apprentice Magician!_

The apprentice appeared, a little surprised when he realized he wasn't in a duel. He looked around, then back at her for an explanation.

"I'd like to fly under the radar, if you know what I mean." She said quietly.

He understood and nodded, then came over and scooped her up.

"That way." She pointed, and he took off, flying low.

* * *

The sight of the temple made Kisara's eyes widen. She stared around at the stone walls and imposing statues, her mouth slightly open in wonder.

"Hm. Orichalcos Gigas." Dartz said, and a large, brutish ogre in chains appeared. "Take Kaiba to the altar."

"Why?" Kisara rounded on him, getting between the brute and her father.

"Would you rather he just lie there on the floor?" Dartz returned dryly. "The altar serves to focus the energies of the Orichalcos, and since that's what we need in order to restore him, it would follow that that would be the best place to put him, now wouldn't it?"

Kisara hesitated.

"Besides, you _did_ promise to stay out of my way." He reminded her. "Don't worry. That's as far as I'm taking him."

After a moment, she nodded and stepped aside.

"Good. Gigas," Dartz gestured, and the ogre stepped forward, scooping up the limp form and carrying it with deceptive care up to the altar.

Kisara followed it over. As soon as Seto was placed, the Gigas disappeared.

"You can look, but don't touch." Dartz warned as he headed for a side passage.

She hesitated, wondering if she was supposed to follow. _Well, I_ did _say I'd stay out of his way…_ She thought. So instead, she sat down next to the altar and watched her father's chest rise and fall, as if all he was doing was sleeping.

 _Father…_ She sighed.

 _"What would your father think if he could see you now?"_

 _"I don't care what my father thinks! He abandoned me! He and Mom went off to travel the world and left ME with this sick, twisted, sadistic excuse for a stepfather!"_

She looked down.

 _"The Seal of Orichalcos takes the darkness in your heart and amplifies it to an intense degree. This isn't how she truly feels."_

 _But it was in there._ She thought. _Part of her believed it._ She grimaced and turned to sit with her back against the altar.

It seemed like there wasn't anything to do but wait, and suddenly, she doubted the wisdom of asking to come here and be alone with her thoughts. But she didn't really want to be at home at the moment, not with Kyo back there.

 _"The only person he ever cared about was you. His pampered little princess. I thought that if I protected you too, he'd at least recognize that. He didn't, but I can't say it was a complete waste. After all, soon everyone knew not to mess with us."_

 _"What are you saying?"_

 _"Didn't you notice? We're bad luck. Anyone who messed with us wound up in a bad way."_

She rested her chin on her arm. _I can't believe it._ She thought, bitter tears brimming in her eyes. She had been wondering why no one wanted to hang out with them. She felt foolish for not noticing it sooner, but she'd actually started to believe she was bad luck.

 _Well, that explains why Jesse's so friendly._ She bit her lip. _He didn't know._ The only other person who would hang out with them was Sirius, and he had been particularly annoying. Like getting stuck with a very yappy dog.

 _Trust him to be too stupid to notice we're bad luck._ Kisara thought grumpily. _Though I shouldn't be too hard on him. He got possessed by Uria, after all._

She sighed and looked up at the altar again. _Father…_

"NO!"

She jumped and looked around, but the voice was coming from another room. It sounded like Dartz was particularly upset.

"I can't believe– you searched everywhere? …Damn it! Why? Of all the…!"

Kisara got to her feet and wandered over, only to nearly get run over as Dartz stormed back out. "What's going on?" She asked.

"Your sister. She's run off!" He snarled, throwing his hands out. A veritable storm of seals appeared in the air around him. "Find her!" He snapped. "We can't let the Phantom get to her!"

 _Kyo ran off?_ Kisara felt a twinge of reactive guilt, but it faded quickly. She folded her arms.

"Of all the times to act like a child!" Dartz clenched his fists, then whirled. "Kisara!" He barked. "Do you know where she might go?"

She shrugged. "I'd say she wasn't one for sneaking out, but apparently she just wasn't one for telling me that she was." She said coolly. "The only place we ever went was Kaibaland."

"Damn it all!" Dartz spun, and ribbons of green energy sparked through the air as his temper kindled the Orichalcos. He noticed and stopped, breathing hard, then huffed and opened another seal. "Rafael," He called, one hand going to his head.

[Still not a– Master Dartz?] Rafael queried through the seal.

"I seem to be… having a tantrum." Dartz said a little wryly. His voice turned angry again. "That damn brat ran off!"

[Who? Hang on– Grarl! Elma! Help Eatos!] Rafael called over his shoulder. [I gotta take this!] He looked back. [Which brat?]

"Kyo Moto." Dartz hissed, and a surge of green energy lanced up around him. "Gah!" He gasped and clutched his arm, and a shot of cold air swept the room.

[You've got seekers on it, right?] Rafael checked.

"…yes." Dartz nodded, seeming to get his composure back. "I have everyone on it except you." He took a deep breath, then let it out and straightened, and the room seemed to warm up again. "She can't have gotten far. I was just there."

[Just there?] Rafael frowned. [What happened?]

"The Phantom got to Kaiba and Obelisk." Dartz said. "It was something of an emergency, so I went. She won, but Obelisk –now Raviel, apparently– tore through Kaiba before escaping. Luckily, the Seal spared his soul–"

[Wait, but who played the Seal?] Rafael asked. [You didn't make Kyo play it, did you?]

"I did. I assumed–"

[Dammit, Dartz! What were you thinking?! You knew the Orichalcos wouldn't mix well with her!]

"She overcame it," Dartz growled impatiently. "I'll admit it was a near thing, but–"

[You sure she overcame it?] Rafael queried. [You did just say she's run off.]

"She broke through the darkness and gave up a competitive advantage in favor of helping Kaiba break Raviel's control." Dartz said. His eyes narrowed. "I told her Joseph was coming, and she said she was going to wait. The window between my departure and Joseph's arrival couldn't have been more than five minutes."

[Why didn't you just wait?] Rafael asked.

"Like I said," Dartz said with a bite of impatience, shivering a little as he tried to keep his temper in check. "I told her Joseph was coming, and she said she would wait." His fist clenched. "I can't believe she would run off like this."

[Well, like _I_ said, her soul's got history with the Orichalcos.] Rafael returned. [She might have broken through, but that's only the first step. Now she's gotta forgive herself for whatever she did, and even if you tell her it's not her fault, that's not easy.]

Dartz was silent for a moment.

[So, she's on the run and you've got seekers searching for her.] Rafael said. [Have you tried her magician? Mahad?]

"I can't exactly call him if she's summoned him, and she can't exactly evade the seekers without help." Dartz pointed out.

[She's got other monsters. I couldn't look Eatos in the eye for a week.] Rafael pointed out. [And thanks to the trinket you gave her, she can summon more than just the ones she's got strong bonds with.]

Dartz didn't seem convinced. "Well, it's worth a shot, I suppose, though I doubt he'd answer my call." He said at last. His shoulders relaxed, and he let out a breath. "Thank you, Rafael. Think that took the edge off."

[No problem, Master.] Rafael said. [Stay pure.]

"I'll try," Dartz said wryly. "Good luck."


	39. The Search

"What was that about?" Kisara asked.

Dartz paused and glanced up. He looked as if he'd forgotten she was there. "Well," He said, recovering. "I may be the master of the Orichalcos, but even I can succumb." He lifted a hand and gazed at it. "If I allow too much of my darkness to return, I will lose myself. And there won't be any more chances. My soul will be annihilated."

Kisara blinked.

"I had intended to make this journey alone, but when Rafael found out, he said he would stay by my side until my vigil was complete." Dartz said quietly. He turned away. "So he keeps me pure. And he, in turn, is kept pure by his guardians." He spread his arms. "Now, I'd appreciate some quiet while I work; this part will be tricky."

Kisara nodded and leaned against the altar.

Dartz spread his arms, and green flames appeared in his palms. He brought them together, then stretched his hands out, tilting them as if to pour the flames out on the floor. Liquid light dropped and spilled across the stone, and he lifted the two forefingers of his right hand in front of his mouth. His other hand waved through the air, and the liquid light followed his motions.

The ring of the Orichalcos appeared, but the six-pointed star was absent. Three smaller circles were drawn next to the large one, and Dartz stepped into one.

"Hm." He mused. "Who will you respond to?" He stroked his chin, then lifted an arm. "Dark Magician Girl." He said, and the Dark Magician Girl appeared in one of the other smaller circles in a burst of light.

She looked very surprised, then alarmed. _"What are you doing, Dartz?"_ She demanded, raising her scepter, but the seal around her flashed in warning. _"Let me go!"_

"I just need you for a moment. You'll be free to go as soon as I summon him." Dartz turned. "And–"

 _"Summon who? Who are you trying to summon, Dartz?!"_ She struck the seal, but it was too strong.

Dartz frowned at the second circle for a moment. Then he raised his hand and flicked his fingers.

Kisara blinked. _Is he asking me to–_ "HEY! What are you doing with my father, Dartz?!" She snapped, running forward as Seto's body was flown into the third ring.

"I need bait, and his spirit is still tethered to the body, even if he's not in it right now." Dartz said, thrusting his hand back. "Now stay _put_."

A seal erupted around her, and she hit the edge, bouncing off with a snarl. "DARTZ!" She roared, and the Blue-Eyes emerged as well… but it was trapped inside the seal with her.

Dartz ignored her. "Mahad!" He called.

There was silence.

 _"Hah! You can't capture him that easily, Dartz."_ Dark Magician Girl said triumphantly.

"We'll see." Dartz spread his arms. "He just battled a Phantom. I doubt he has the strength to resist."

 _"No!"_ The sorceress shouted, coming up to the barrier as an orb of golden light appeared in the center of the circle. _"Mahad, don't come! He's trying to capture you!"_

Dartz leaned forward a little, and the seal glowed with power. "All I need is to know where Kyo is. She's missing, and she has no protection. If the Phantom Gods find her first, her spirit will be torn to shreds!"

The light flickered, and Mahad appeared suddenly, braced in an attempt to resist the pull. Dartz let go with a gasp, and the gold-clad magician fell back against the seal – freed, but still imprisoned within its evil light.

 _"You should not have summoned me."_ Mahad said in a low, dangerous tone. _"I am stronger than last we met."_

"Just hear me out for a moment, would you?" Dartz returned quickly, panting. "Kyo's gone missing, and with the Phantom Gods out there, she won't last long."

 _"I am all the protection she needs."_ Mahad growled, lifting his staff.

"Yet why am I the one who has summoned you, and not her?" Dartz shot back swiftly. "Seems to me she doesn't trust your protection."

His eyes widened, then narrowed in fury. _"You will regret those words."_ He snarled. He lifted off the ground, shouting a battlecry, and Dartz hastily made a ripping motion with one hand. The seals vanished, and both Mahad and the Dark Magician Girl vanished.

There was silence.

He let out a sigh, getting to his feet. "Well, that went about as expected," He muttered. He turned, but stopped, as if he'd forgotten Kisara again. "Right." He lifted his hand, then paused and turned, gesturing at Seto's body. "First, that back where it belongs," He said, and it flew back to the altar, coming down to rest gently on the stone. "And then you." He lifted his hand again, but paused.

She bristled.

He sighed. "I've had a really trying day, so please, make it worth my while to release you, or you'll wind up on the wall."

He snapped his fingers, and the seal vanished.

For a moment, she thought about punching him, but though the thought was tempting, she decided it wouldn't really do anyone any good right now.

She straightened, and the dragon vanished.

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you." He said tiredly, rubbing his forehead. "Hopefully, Mahad will go to Kyo. He is much stronger, yes, which would make him easier to track. So if he surfaces even for a moment, I'll be able to narrow the search down." He huffed. "And I'll have her brought here. I really should have done it from the start." He didn't sound thrilled. "At least until this mess is over." He swayed and leaned against one of the pillars.

Kisara eyed him critically, then glanced up at her Blue-Eyes, which faded away. She looked over at the altar, then turned back to Dartz. "And what about my father?" She asked.

The Atlantean king glanced over. "Mm. Right." He mused. "Once Kyo is safe, we can focus on your father." He said.

Kisara's jaw set slightly. She doubted this had been intentional, but it seemed like Kyo was still making bad luck. She spun on her heel and marched back over to the altar, then sat down next to her father and grasped his hand.

It was cool to the touch, which was wrong. She loved the way their fingers seemed to fit perfectly, but it was overshadowed by the fact that he wasn't even there. And now, thanks to Kyo, it would take even longer for him to wake up.

She grimaced and bowed her head. _Father…_

* * *

Kyo hopped down. _Thank you, Apprentice._ She said silently, and he vanished. She hurried into the building. _Now where…_

She spotted the fire alarm and ran over, pulling the handle.

People screamed and ran in all directions, and she ducked out of sight; a few moments later, she was left alone with the dueling arena and sirens.

She straightened. _Apprentices! Valkyrias! Alchemist! Show yourselves!_ She called, and the five spellcasters appeared. "Close all the exits." She said, spreading her arm. "Make sure no one gets in accidentally."

They took off, and she strode over to the dueling arena. The room –like most things Seto built– was enormous: more than enough room to house an Egyptian God. Even a twisted, chaotic one.

She took a deep breath.

 _Mahad?_ She called.

There was no answer.

She flinched. _I suppose…_ She looked down and saw his hourglass lying against her chest. She cupped it, then pulled it off, sticking it in her pocket. _I'll see if one of them can take it to him._

She straightened. _But in the meantime… Dark Magician of Chaos,_ She called.

The wild hair and red eyes melted into view, bringing with it a ripple of dark energy that spread across the space. Their eyes met, and she remembered very vividly how she had sacrificed him in order to bring Mahad back.

He waited, silent.

"I need to draw the Phantom here." She said. "It's a creature of chaos, so…"

His eyes narrowed slightly. _"If you want to fight chaos, you have to use chaos."_

She flinched and dropped her gaze.

The other magicians reappeared. When they saw him, though, they balked and settled down a short ways off. She glanced over at them. "Finished?"

They nodded.

She nodded back. "Good. You may go."

They vanished.

She gazed at the spot for a moment, then looked up again. "Okay." She said at last. "Whatever it takes."

He strode forward, and she took an involuntary step back. He reached down, cupping her chin, and she twitched, her eyes widening.

He brought his face close to hers, and they gazed into each other's eyes for several seconds. His expression was so wild; she felt like a mouse under the eyes of an eagle.

 _"I will protect you."_ He said softly.

Then he leaned in and kissed her.

She started with shock, but she couldn't move; his hand was holding her head in place, and his eyes were still fixed on hers.

He held her for a moment before releasing her, and she gasped, her heart hammering with fear.

 _"So do not betray me."_ He said, without any warmth or affection, as if they hadn't just been kissing.

She swallowed. "I understand." She said quietly. She took a deep breath to steady herself, and let it out. "Then let's do this."

* * *

Dartz jolted in alarm, and Kisara looked up to see a horrified look on his face. "What is she thinking?!" He exclaimed, surging off the pillar and stepping forward, waving his hands. "Rafael! Joseph!"

[What's up? Found somethin'?] Joey queried.

[Master Dartz, something's up– Uria just ran off–] Rafael grunted.

"It's Kyo. Do you feel it?" Dartz grimaced. "She's summoning chaos!"

[What the hell would she do dat for?] Joey demanded. [She's not dat dumb!]

[Damn. I can feel it.] Rafael muttered. [What's she trying to do, rip the planet apart?]

Dartz didn't speak for a moment. A flash of green flame surged up around him, and he clutched his arm. But instead of anger, there was fear. "She's going to destroy everything." He swayed. "What have I done?"

[Easy, Dartz,] Joey said quickly. [We'll figure dis out. C'mon, Sirius. We'll go find 'er.]

"You won't be fast enough." Dartz staggered, shaking his head in an attempt to clear it as green flames leapt higher.

[Master Dartz, you need to calm down,] Rafael started.

"She's ruining _everything_!" Dartz snarled, throwing his arm out, and the seals winked out of sight. He took a few halting steps, but his weren't the only ones Kisara could hear.

Someone appeared at the entrance, and they both looked up in surprise.

"Well, well, well." The voice said silkily. "What have we here? You don't look so good."

Dartz's eyes narrowed. "Who are you? How did you get here?"

The figure stepped forward, and Kisara's hands leapt to her mouth. She'd known it was coming, but seeing him like this…

Jesse smirked and set a hand on his hip. "You've got somethin' I want." A malicious tint twisted his features. "And I'm going to rip you apart to get it, whether you like it or not."


	40. The Challengers and the Challenged

The dueling arena didn't look remotely normal anymore. The platform was still there, but they were surrounded by a vast abyss of stars, as if the chaos mage had simply plucked them right out and thrown them into the cosmos. There were plates of earth floating nearby, and a burning, roiling inferno of fire flared up below them, melting stone and creating new forms of molten slag to harden up and become new platforms on which to stand.

Kyo would have found it breathtaking if her Dark Magician of Chaos hadn't felt so… off. There was something sinister in his power, and she started to wonder if there had been another way. _If only Mahad had answered…_ She thought uneasily as she watched him.

But then a darkness appeared across the way, and she sensed the presence of the Phantom. The chaos mage waited a few moments to be sure, but then he flicked his staff, and abruptly, they were back in the dome.

Well, insomuch as more of the architecture had returned. There were still patches and gaps in the walls, floor, and the air itself, all reaching through to that realm that he'd brought to bear.

And on the other side of the arena was what could only be described as a goblin. The wicked, impish face, twisted into a malicious smirk, grinned at them through grossly exaggerated features. He was clad in fanged black armor and wielded a warped sword, which twisted itself around into a dueldisk.

 _"So, you want to play with chaos, do you?"_ He hissed, his voice doubled with both Raviel's and Uria's malevolent tones. _"Think you can take on the Phantom, do you?"_

Kyo's eyes narrowed.

The Dark Magician of Chaos scoffed. _"Think you'll be a challenge, do you?"_ He mimicked, twirling his staff. _"You may be a creature of chaos, but I am a master of it."_

The goblin sneered, and a ripple of chaos crossed the room. But as it reached their side of the field, Kyo thought she felt something… _swallow_ it.

The goblin looked distinctly unnerved. Then he rallied. _"Your master won't protect you forever."_

Kyo blinked. _Master?_

 _Did I do that?_ She frowned. She was pretty sure she hadn't.

The goblin raised his arm. _"I accept your challenge, little fly."_ He said, smirking. _"You are no match for both of us."_

"We'll see." Kyo replied, activating her dueldisk. "Let's duel." She drew. "I'll start by activating Spell Absorption. Then I'll summon Apprentice Magician in attack mode." She said. "Then I place three cards facedown and end my turn."

The goblin drew and snickered. _"I set five cards facedown and end my turn."_

 _Trap deck._ Kyo mused. _I'm not sure how Raviel is summoned; Mr. Kaiba actually summoned Obelisk. He just changed halfway through. Could he be like Uria, needing three faceup traps? Or maybe spells?_

She shifted. _Either way, he'll have to summon something soon, and whatever he picks, I'll be ready._ "I summon Magician's Valkyria in attack mode!" She declared.

The Valkyria popped up and looked around. She seemed nervous at first, then relieved by the lack of Orichalcos, then uneasy when she saw the pockets of chaos floating through the hall. She looked back, and their eyes met.

 _I don't know._ Kyo thought privately, in answer to Valkyria's unspoken query. _This is Dark Magician of Chaos's idea, so we can lure the Phantom into battle._

Valkyria's expression shifted slightly.

 _And I'm sorry._ Kyo added softly. _It was supposed to be the only way to stop them… But I'd almost prefer losing to… that._

She seemed mollified, and gave Kyo a reassuring smile.

"Now, Valkyria!" She raised her arm. "Attack him directly!"

 _"I activate Zoma the Spirit and Tiki Soul!"_ The goblin shouted. _"Both in defense mode. Attack if you dare."_

"Actually, I'm glad to see them!" Kyo smirked, and he started in surprise. "Now I activate Magician's Circle and Dark Renewal! Since you summoned a monster, I can sacrifice it, along with Apprentice Magician, to summon a dark spellcaster monster from my deck." She grinned. "I choose your Zoma, and with these two sacrifices, I summon Dark Magician of Chaos! Plus, since a spellcaster declared an attack, I can summon another spellcaster from my deck, and I choose my second Valkyria!"

The second Valkyria burst onto the field as Zoma and Apprentice were sucked into the dark coffin. And out of it stepped her Chaos Mage.

"Now, since a replay happens, I'll call off my Valkyria." Kyo continued. "Dark Magician of Chaos, obliterate his Tiki Soul and banish it from the game!"

He launched forward with a burst of dark energy, and the statue promptly fell apart.

"Now, Valkyria number two!" Kyo stepped and lifted her other hand. "Attack him directly!"

 _"I activate Tiki Curse in attack mode!"_ The goblin snarled, and another statue popped up.

"Valkyria, wait!" Kyo called, and she skidded to a halt. "Good, but it won't last long." She said, straightening. "All right. I activate Bound Wand, and equip it to my Dark Magician of Chaos." She set the card in her dueldisk, and the red-tipped black staff appeared next to her Chaos Mage.

He dismissed his current staff and seized it, twirling it briefly and letting out a small hiss.

"His attack is increased by one hundred times his level, giving him a grand total of thirty-six hundred attack points." Kyo said, trying to ignore how strange it sounded. "And, since I activated a spell, I gain five hundred extra life points thanks to my Spell Absorption card." She stepped back. "Your move."

 _"I draw!"_ The goblin said silkily. _"Then I activate Fires of Doomsday! This lets me summon two Doomsday tokens."_

Kyo blinked.

 _"But they won't be around for long."_ The goblin chuckled. _"For now, I sacrifice one of them to summon Dark Summoning Beast!"_

Kyo frowned. _So, two tokens with no power. One of them is used to summon another monster with no power. What are you up to?_

 _"Now, I activate Dark Summoning Beast's special ability!"_ The goblin continued, his grin widening unnaturally across his face. _"You see, normally the Phantom Gods are difficult to summon, but with Dark Summoning Beast, I can summon them from anywhere in my deck… just by tributing my beast!"_

* * *

Dartz glared at the possessed young man at the entrance. "So, I assume you're Jesse."

"Right in one." Jesse smirked. "I feel so honored. Not every day ye c'n say th' king of Atlantis knows yer name." He lifted his arm, activating his dueldisk. "Or y' get t' tear his soul apart."

Dartz grimaced.

Kisara gave him a sideways look. _Is he going to fight?_ She wondered. _He's not exactly at the top of his game…_

She looked back at Jesse, but stepping up and facing him…

"Sounds like an offer I can't refuse." Dartz said dryly. "Mind you, I've been looking forward to a chance to face you head on." He lifted his arm. "After all, it's my power that has been keeping you in check."

Jesse's eyes narrowed slightly. "The ring of law." He said in soft disgust. Then he smirked. "I'll be glad t' bury that thing f'r good."

Dartz started drawing. "Then I suppose I'll have to disappoint you. Why don't I start things off? I activate Medallion of the Ice Barrier." He lifted the card. "This lets me add one 'Ice Barrier' monster from my deck to my hand, and I choose General Grunard." He drew. "Then, I summon Spellbreaker of the Ice Barrier in defense mode."

Kisara felt a faint waft of cold air and studied the spellcaster he'd summoned to the field. It didn't look like a monster that went with the Orichalcos; that seemed more like the role of Gigas. This one felt… stiff.

"Her special ability allows me to freeze spells until the end of my next turn." Dartz said. "By discarding General Grunard."

The Spellbreaker's fingers tightened around her staff, and a waft of cold air crossed the field.

"Next, I can summon Prior of the Ice Barrier, since I have an Ice Barrier monster on the field." Dartz continued. "His special ability allows me to tribute him in order to summon an Ice Barrier monster in my graveyard. In other words, General Grunard."

The Prior had brought a faint chill, but it was nothing to the general; the temperature definitely dropped several degrees as the ice-rimed General emerged on the field.

"His special ability allows me to summon another Ice Barrier monster to the field, and I choose Pilgrim of the Ice Barrier in defense mode." Dartz said. "That ends my turn."

 _Why isn't he using the Orichalcos monsters?_ Kisara frowned. _I've only seen Gigas and Kyutora, but aren't there more? All these monsters are… frozen._

"Huh." Jesse said, musing. "I guess I really should've pegged ye f'r a coward. I wouldn've, but it makes sense, since y've ben hidn' be'ind everyone else." He drew.

"What are you talking about?" Kisara frowned. _Dueling him doesn't exactly seem like cowardice to me…_

"His monsters." Jesse said shortly, as if that was all the explanation she'd need.

She blinked.

"All frozen in _fear_." Jesse's voice dropped as he continued, his eyes lighting with sadistic glee. "You should be afraid. I'm gonna tear you apart piece by piece. You won' be around t' remember, but your separation from existence will be long an' slow."

Dartz's eyes narrowed.

He straightened. "An' it all starts with Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus!" He shouted suddenly, slapping the card on the field. "This lets me put a Crystal Beast from my deck t' my spell an' trap zone as a spell, an' I choose Amber Mammoth!"

The pegasus burst into view with a whinny, but as it took in the scene, Kisara thought she could see its fear. It glanced back at Jesse, and she saw definite horror.

 _As bad as it is for me to see him like this, they… they're his monsters._ She felt a wave of sympathy and worry. _We'll get him back, Sapphire Pegasus. I promise._

The pegasus looked back around at her, and their eyes met briefly. _Please,_ It seemed to beg. _Help us!_

"Then I set three cards facedown." Jesse continued in a dark smirk. "Sapphire Pegasus! Attack his Pilgrim!"

The pegasus charged forward, whinnying a battlecry as it struck. The pilgrim shattered as if it had been made of ice.

Jesse straightened, running a hand through his hair. "That's it f'r now."

Dartz let out a breath, then drew a card. "Very well."

"Well, actually," Jesse said, holding up a hand. "Now that it's yore turn, I'm gonna activate Crystal Raigeki!" He activated one of his facedown cards. "An' I'm gonna use it t' destroy yore Spellbreaker, jus' as soon as I send Amber Mammoth to the graveyard." He raised his hand, his eyes lit with chaotic glee, and clenched it. The amber stone shattered, and the shards of it flew across the field to strike the Spellbreaker. Cracks appeared, webbing across her body, and a moment later, she fell apart as if she were a pile of snow.

Dartz ignored her. "I set one monster in defense position. General Grunard, attack his Sapphire Pegasus!" He ordered, and the ice-clad general launched forward, drawing his sword and slicing stiffly through the pegasus.

"I activate Crystal Conclave an' Crystal Pair!" Jesse said, spreading his arm. "If a Crystal Beast's ben sent t' my graveyard, I can set a Crystal Beast in my spell zone, an' I take no more damage this turn. Plus, if a Crystal Beast's ben destroyed, I c'n summon another one from my deck." He drew. "I set Topaz Tiger in my spell zone, then summon Ruby Carbuncle to the field in attack mode! Plus, Carbuncle's special ability lets me summon Crystal Beasts from my back row, an' since I jus' got Topaz Tiger, I'll summon him!"

Kisara frowned. _They're both in attack mode. But neither of them can stand up to Dartz's general. He's not that reckless!_

 _Well… not usually._ She amended. _And he's not usually so quick to abandon his Crystal Beasts, either._ She bit her lip. _Jesse…_

The Carbuncle mewled and looked back, but Jesse ignored her completely. She turned around to Kisara, and her expression was almost teary-eyed.

 _Ruby…_ Kisara winced. _We'll get him back, I promise!_

"My move!" Jesse drew, then laughed. "Well, well. It's too bad you haven't gotten yore ring of law on the field yet. But not t' worry; I've got a field spell o' my own t' play."

 _Ancient City?_ Kisara wondered. _But it won't help until he has Crystal Beasts on his back row._

"It's a lot like yore ring, actually." Jesse smirked and opened his field spell slot. "Only it's much more powerful."

Kisara frowned. _That can't be Ancient City. It's powerful, but not as powerful as the Seal of Orichalcos…_

"I activate Advanced Dark!" Jesse shouted, throwing the card into the slot to activate it.

Darkness shot across the hall, putting out the braziers all along the walls. Shadows crept up, swirling around the creatures on the field. Kisara, straining her eyes to keep sight of Ruby Carbuncle, was alarmed when she found herself staring into a feral red gaze.

The Crystal Beasts didn't look remotely afraid anymore. They also didn't look anything like they should. Their fur was dark, their eyes red, and their expressions wild and predatory.

 _No! Ruby? Ruby Carbuncle?_ Kisara wondered, terrified, but there was no response.

 _What have you done, Jesse?_


	41. Down to the Wire

Kyo shifted. _Well, at least he can't attack. Not with my Valkyria in play._ She thought. _Still…_

 _Doesn't look good._

 _"Lucky for you, I can't attack."_ The goblin said silkily. _"So I'll finish this off by switching my Tiki Curse to defense mode and setting this card facedown."_

"Fine. It's my move." She drew. _Hm. That's a good backup._ She thought. "Dark Magician of Chaos!" She called. "Attack his Tiki Curse!"

The mage darted forward.

 _"I activate Imperial Custom!"_ The goblin snickered. _"Now you can't destroy my traps!"_

Kyo grimaced. "Fine. I switch both my Valkyria to defense mode and set this card facedown. Your move."

 _"I draw."_ The goblin sneered. _"And I set one card facedown."_

Kyo's eyes narrowed. _Likely another trap. He needs three face-up traps to summon Uria. Although, if he gets another Dark Summoning Beast, he might be able to get it immediately._ She grimaced. _Well, for the moment, I can't let him keep building up his defenses._

She drew. "Magician of Chaos, attack his Doomsday token!" She commanded.

The mage hopped into the air, powering up his staff.

 _"Activate Call of the Earthbound."_ Raviel rumbled. _"Attack me!"_

"No! Chaos Mage!" Kyo shouted, but unlike Uria's chaotic method of dragging them into battle, this was part of the game; she couldn't call him back.

He seemed confused. He shook his head, touching it, but the pull was too strong. He growled and turned, launching the attack, but Raviel was ready with a counterattack – one the Valkyria twins couldn't stop.

The blast shot through the barrier and struck her, and she staggered back. _Even just four hundred points of damage…_ She thought, startled at how much it hurt. _And normally, Bound Wand would bring my magician back, but this time…_ She squinted up. "I activate Escape from the Dark Dimension!"

A rift opened, and the mage shot out of it. He skidded to a halt in midair, glaring up at Raviel, and let out a small growl.

"Let's try this again, shall we?" Kyo clenched her fist. "Chaos Mage, attack his Doomsday token!"

This time, the attack hit true, but the damage had been done; her mage was weakened, and now reliant on a trap to keep him in the game.

"I set one card facedown. And since I'm ending my turn, and my mage was summoned this turn, he lets me bring a spell card back from my graveyard." Kyo said. "I'll bring back Bound Wand."

 _My back row's getting a bit full._ She thought. _I'll have to keep an eye on that. Unfortunately, I may be unable to do much about it next round if I want Dark Magician of Chaos to have Bound Wand…_

The goblin chittered in amusement as he drew. _"Hmm. Think I'll put this little number facedown to keep you guessing."_

Kyo's eyes narrowed.

* * *

"Nex', I activate Crystal Bond." Jesse continued. "This lets me move Cobalt Eagle to my hand, an' set Emerald Tortoise in my spell zone. Then I summon Amethyst Cat!"

The pink-furred cat was only on the field for a brief moment before the shadows swallowed her, turning her feral.

"Awright, Topaz Tiger! Attack his facedown card!" Jesse pointed. "An' 'cos he's attacking a monster, he gets five hundred extra points!"

Dartz didn't even flinch. "By destroying my Blizzed, you let me draw one card." He said, drawing.

"Fine. Ruby Carbuncle!" Jesse turned. "Attack his General Grunard!"

That made both Kisara and Dartz start in surprise.

 _She's got way fewer attack points! Forget that – if he attacks…_ Kisara frowned. _Is he… trying to lose?_

The Carbuncle bounded forward with a ferocious snarl, but the general just lifted one hand and froze it as it pounced. It dropped and shattered on the floor.

"Then I activate Advanced Dark!" Jesse said. "If I send a Crystal Beast from my deck to my graveyard, then I don't receive any damage from that attack."

 _He didn't even care._ Kisara thought bitterly, staring at the fragments of Ruby Carbuncle as they faded away. _In fact, he_ wanted _Carbuncle to be destroyed._

She started. _Maybe…_ She looked over at Jesse, remembering how Raviel kept sacrificing the Blue-Eyes. _Is it trying to keep him suppressed?_

But she couldn't sense any kind of a struggle, not before or after he'd sent Ruby Carbuncle to the graveyard.

"Plus," He went on, "My Crystal Conclave lets me summon another Amethyst Cat to the field!" He raised his hand. "Amethyst Cats, attack him directly!"

The two cats bounded forward, prowling past the frozen warriors and pouncing on Dartz, who braced himself against their attacks.

"That's all f'r now." Jesse chuckled. "And this time I mean it."

"Hmph." Dartz drew. "You'll have to do better than that if you expect to win." He lifted a card from his hand. "I summon Caravan of the Ice Barrier. With its special ability, I shall return Prior and Spellbreaker from my graveyard to my deck." He shuffled his cards. "Then we each draw one card."

"How kind of you." Jesse chuckled.

Dartz snorted softly. "Then I use General Grunard's special ability, allowing me to summon another Ice Barrier monster to the field. By tributing Caravan, I can summon Dai-Sojo." He said, swapping out the cards. "His special ability switches him to defense mode when he's summoned, but in exchange, you can't destroy my Ice Barrier monsters with effects." He turned and lifted his hand. "General Grunard! Attack his Amethyst Cat!"

The general crouched, drawing his sword.

Jesse snickered. "I'll send another Crystal Beast t' my graveyard t' take no battle damage." He said with a sneer as amethyst shards scattered across the field.

 _They're dying. They're dying en masse, and he doesn't care._ Kisara felt tears brim in her eyes.

 _No. He's had them ever since he started dueling. He wouldn't betray them like this. It's the Phantom._ She reminded herself. _This isn't how he'd really act._

 _"What would your father think if he could see you now?"_

 _"I don't care what my father thinks! He abandoned me! He and Mom went off to travel the world and left ME with this sick, twisted, sadistic excuse for a stepfather!"_

 _"The Seal of Orichalcos takes the darkness in your heart and amplifies it to an intense degree. This isn't how she truly feels."_

She twitched and dropped her gaze. _But she does feel alone._ She thought. _Even after all this time…_

"My move!" Jesse said. "I set two cards facedown." He lifted his hand. "Now, Topaz Tiger! Cobalt Eagle! Attack his General Grunard!"

The two beasts launched forward, and the general dismissed them both.

"With Advanced Dark, I can send two more Crystal Beasts to my graveyard!" Jesse laughed.

Kisara stiffened. _That's right! Rainbow Dragon can only be summoned when there are seven Crystal Beasts either on the field or in his graveyard!_ "Dartz!" She called in a warning. "He's trying to summon his Rainbow Dragon, and it has four thousand attack points!"

Dartz glanced over at her, then back at Jesse.

"Amethyst Cat! Attack him directly!" Jesse shouted.

* * *

"My move!" Kyo announced as she drew. _Ah!_ She thought. _That might work._ She studied her field. _But not at the moment._ She hesitated, then set it in her hand. _So it'll have to wait for now._ "I activate Bound Wand, and equip it to my Dark Magician of Chaos!" She said, and once again, the red-tipped black staff replaced his regular one.

 _Speaking of waiting…_ "I end my turn." She said, folding her arms. _I can't destroy his traps. I can't take on Raviel. I just need to be patient for now._

The goblin drew, then roared with wicked glee.

"Let me guess," Kyo said dryly. "You have Uria."

 _"Very clever, little fly."_ The goblin chuckled, his eyes widening with mischievous laughter. _"Not that it will save you!"_

"You need three face-up traps." Kyo pointed out.

 _"Oh no, whatever shall I do?"_ The goblin giggled. _"Oh, I know! I'll activate Embodiment of Apophis!"_

She gave him a flat look. _Worth a shot._ She thought grumpily. She glanced at her cards. _I'm not eager to lose any of them, but at least he can't destroy the face-up ones._

 _"And I send three continuous traps to the graveyard in order to summon Uria, Lord of Searing Flames!"_

Kyo looked up, her fingers tightening, as the second of the Phantom Gods erupted from the playing field to encircle the room. She kept her cards close to her chest as it passed around behind her, hissing softly like a snake poised to devour helpless prey.

 _"Now, I activate my special ability."_ Uria hissed. _"To destroy a facedown card on the field!"_

Kyo waited, but the blast didn't aim at her side.

Her eyes widened. _He did that last time!_

 _"I destroy Wild Tornado!"_ Uria roared. _"This lets me target any card on the field to destroy it."_ He whipped around, his yellow eyes narrowing. _"And I choose one of your Valkyria!"_

The tornado surged forward.

"Not if I can help it!" Kyo shouted. "Go, Magical Hats! Conceal both of my Valkyria!" She hesitated, but she only had a second to decide. "And my Magician of Chaos!"

It was risky. They had a one in two chance of hitting a Valkyria, and a three in four chance of hitting something. But she didn't dare leave her magicians in the open, in case Uria decided to go after an easier target… or hit one of her Valkyrias, breaking the barrier.

Uria snarled. _"I will rip you apart!"_ He roared, and the tornado struck.

Kyo stiffened. "No!" She knew it even before the gusts cleared; she could feel the Valkyria as she was destroyed.

They'd sensed it too. Both Phantom Gods shot forward, blasting the hats. Uria missed, but Raviel hit her other Valkyria...

And then it was over.

 _I'm going to lose!_ She felt a chill as she stared up at the two Phantom Gods. _There's no way I can take both of them down fast enough._ She swallowed.

 _"Trust me."_

She blinked and looked back at the Magician of Chaos as he emerged from the remaining hat. He looked back at her, and their eyes met.

 _"I will protect you."_

It was just like the Dark Magician. Just like Mahad. And just like then, she thought she had been facing insurmountable odds.

But his promise didn't give her any comfort this time.

 _"Just draw."_ He commanded. _"Draw the card so I can end this."_

She stiffened, but she didn't have a choice. Not this time. Not with Mahad gone. She drew.

Her eyes widened in horror. "The Great Leviathan?" She gasped.

 _I never had that in my deck! I didn't think it was even a card!_

 _I can't play this!_

* * *

Dartz gazed at the card in his hand, and a faint smile touched his features. "Well, I suppose I wouldn't mind wrapping this up." He said lightly, and Jesse's eyes narrowed. "I _do_ have other business to attend to."

 _What did he draw?_ Kisara wondered. _Could he really… turn this around in one turn?_

"Now I activate–" He raised the card over his head. "The Seal of Orichalcos!"

Malevolent green light overtook the shadows, driving them back as a seal erupted around them, encasing the two combatants within its evil circle.

Jesse's eyes narrowed, and he bristled.

Kisara felt a chill. A wave of malice emitted from the seal, and she found herself wondering if they hadn't been better off on their own. Surely chaos couldn't be worse than this!

But then a second pulse of darkness emitted, and the seal began to shrink.

"What?" Dartz started in shock.

Jesse watched as the seal slowly passed him by, and started to laugh. "Might be my humble opinion, but I'm gettin' the feelin' it don't like you."

Dartz's eyes narrowed, and his fist clenched, but the seal just kept shrinking; slowly, inexorably, it closed around him.

"What's going on, Dartz?" Kisara asked nervously.

"Damn. Kyo must still have some manner of control over it." Dartz gritted. "And it seems quite clear which of us it would prefer to serve."

Her eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

"Reviving the Leviathan isn't exactly on my agenda." Dartz said with an effort, straining to push the seal back into play. "It's been tempting me with that for twenty years to no avail. But Kyo… she's young, inexperienced; easy to tempt. And she wrenched control of the seal away from me, so she's strong enough to revive it." He grimaced. "Damn it!" He spun, slamming his palm against the barrier, and the seal shattered. He staggered, released, and the effects of Advanced Dark made a brief resurgence.

Jesse continued to laugh. "Even with th' home-field advantage, you've lost yore touch! Not to worry. Yore soul will be locked away one way or another." He patted his stomach. "In one belly or another."

Dartz spun back around. "I'm not done!" He hissed. "I summon Geomancer of the Ice Barrier! By discarding one card from my hand, I can declare an attribute; then, monsters of that attribute can't target it for an attack." He lifted a card. "And since you've made all your monsters dark, that's the attribute I choose." He sent the card to the graveyard. "Next, General Grunard will attack your other Amethyst Cat!"

"An' I send my other Cobalt Eagle t' the graveyard t' receive no damage." Jesse said with a shrug.

"Lastly," Dartz plucked the last card from his hand. "I activate Grunard's special ability, allowing me to summon Cryomancer to the field!" He set the card down. "And once Cryomancer is on the field, any monster whose level is four or higher is barred from attacking."

Jesse's grin widened viciously. "I can sense your fear." He hissed, laughing softly. "Don't worry. It will all be over soon." He drew.


	42. The Jaws of Death

Silence fell.

"The time has come." Jesse said softly, spreading his arms. Wind filled the room, gusting about them and carrying a sinister aura.

Kisara swallowed, and a bead of sweat slid down Dartz's cheek.

"Arise, my great beast!" Jesse bellowed as Rainbow Gravity flipped up. "And shroud the world in shadow! RAINBOW DARK DRAGON!"

The once-white winged serpent was now black, the iridescent scales tainted with malevolent chaos. Its eyes glowed a deep red, and the room, already darkened by Jesse's field spell, became engulfed in shadow until only the faint light of the dragon's gems and Dartz's Ice Barrier monsters could be seen.

"I give you an offering, my great beast!" Jesse's grin was entirely too wrong on his face. "Devour the souls of my Crystal Beasts and boost your strength!"

Kisara's eyes widened. _He isn't–!_

Beams of light emitted from his graveyard and from the monsters on the field. The serpent opened its mouth, drawing them in, and the gems along its body lit up with power.

There was a crinkling sound, and Kisara looked over to see that the Ice Barrier monsters were starting to crack. _No! It can't destroy them, can it? It can't attack!_

But she got the funny impression that they weren't the problem.

Dartz's face had been drained of all color. He looked as pale as his frozen creatures. He was staring at the serpent as it writhed and snarled, feeding on the souls of the Crystal Beasts until it was gorged.

"Dartz!" Kisara called, but he didn't seem to hear her.

"Behold the instrument of your annihilation!" Jesse threw back his head and laughed.

 _Ten… thousand… attack points…?_ Kisara gasped when she saw it. _At least it can't attack…_

"You may think you're safe," Jesse said softly. "Let me show you how wrong you are." He turned. "I activate Rainbow Refraction! Now, since I've used my Rainbow Dragon's special ability, I get to summon as many Crystal Beasts to the field from my deck as I can." He pulled the cards from his deck. "By this point, I've only got one left. But that's all I need."

 _One left…?_ Kisara stiffened. _If it's strong enough to take out his Cryomancer…_

"I summon Crystal Beast Ruby Carbuncle!" Jesse shouted.

The Carbuncle leapt onto the field.

Kisara felt a flicker of relief. _That can't beat the Cryomancer. It's not nearly strong enough, and he doesn't have any stronger monsters to–_ She stopped.

"This lets me summon Emerald Tortoise from my back row." Jesse said, turning. "Plus, he's a three-star monster, so yore Cryomancer can't stop 'im."

"He's not strong enough to defeat Cryomancer, though." Kisara pointed out.

Jesse smirked. "Glad you noticed." He said with malicious amusement. "That brings me to my last card." He lifted it. "Crystal Release!"

Kisara started.

"When I equip it to a Crystal Beast monster, it gains eight hundred additional attack points." Jesse explained, his teeth bared in a feral grin as he lifted a hand. "Now, Emerald Tortoise! Attack his Cryomancer!"

The tortoise snarled, and a beam of darkened green light shot across the field to strike the Cryomancer, which shattered and broke.

"An' since I _can't_ attack anythin' else…" Jesse snickered. "Finish him off, Rainbow Dark Dragon!" He roared. "Tear him APART!"

The dragon reared back, the gems glowing as they charged up. Dartz took a step back, his eyes wide with terror.

"There's nowhere to run, fool." Jesse hissed softly. "Your soul will be shredded, an' I will feast on the remains." He spread his hands, leaning forward, and the dragon fired a burst of iridescent black light.

"Dartz!" Kisara screamed.

The blast threw him across the room, and he hit one of the pillars with enough force to crack both it and his spine. He shouted in pain, then slid down to the floor like a broken doll.

"Dartz!" Kisara repeated, taking a step towards him, but freezing at the wicked laughter that filled the hall. She looked around to see Jesse striding over, darkness flowing from him like an evil fog.

The look on his face made her stay very still.

Dartz stirred weakly, his eyes half-opening, but it was obvious he was in a great deal of pain. He grimaced and tried to sit up, but failed and had to bite back a whimper.

Jesse's mouth was wide, almost too wide, fixed on Dartz with a hungry look in his eyes.

A faint green barrier appeared around Dartz, blocking the Phantom's progress. Jesse stopped a foot away, studying the huddled form inside, and snickered. "What a feeble attempt." He said, laughing and turning away. "You're not even worth my time."

He headed in the direction of the altar, and Kisara braced herself, but then another barrier appeared around her and Seto. She blinked and looked across at Dartz, who had his hand half-raised. His arm was shaking, his face twisted in pain, but the barrier held steady.

"Oh come now, you're distracting me!" Jesse complained mockingly, turning back. "Do you _want_ me to break you?"

"Middle serpent." Dartz said weakly. "It's… there."

Jesse blinked and looked over at it. He stared at it for a moment, then snickered again. "A wise choice."

He strode over.

"No!" Kisara shouted, running to the edge of the barrier and striking it. But as she did, ready to berate Dartz for letting the Phantom get Ra, she heard a faint gasp. She looked over to see Dartz clutching his chest, his eyes shut tight and his hand barely above the stone. A pulse of green shot across his seal, and he moaned, his arm dropping to the floor. But his fingers stayed up, and so did the barrier.

 _He can't take any more._ Kisara thought with a flicker of guilt. _It's taking everything he has to protect me, and if I… if anything happens…_

 _He'll die._

So she turned back, her eyes tearing up with frustration, as she watched Jesse pick up the Winged Dragon of Ra.

"I have you at last." He hissed, then threw back his head, laughing. The Rainbow Dark Dragon appeared behind him, and the malevolent presence shifted from the serpent's scales to the golden card, warping it. There was a cry like an eagle, as if in defiance, but towards the end, the cry became a guttural call, and the chaos warped everything.

Kisara grimaced.

"Well, I'm about done." Jesse turned back and looked up at the now-white winged serpent, which was hissing at him. "Oh, right. You." He sneered and pulled out the card, tossing it to the floor. "I don't need you anymore. Begone."

The dragon snarled and shot forward, but then Ra, now twisted and mutated, surged up out of Jesse's body.

"Hammon, Lord of Striking Thunder!" He roared, and the Phantom God gave the same guttural call as it fired back.

"Blue-Eyes!" Kisara called, and the white dragon burst into view beside the serpent. "Help him!"

The two dragons shot forward, but then Hammon vanished, and Jesse's wicked laughter echoed malevolently around the room before fading away.

Dartz let out a last gasp, and the barriers faded as he slumped. Kisara looked over at him, then up at the Rainbow Dragon. It let out a sorrowful call, then spiraled down into the card Jesse had left behind. She picked it up, then ran over to Dartz.

"Lord Dartz? Are you okay?" She asked, but he didn't stir. He wasn't dead –his breathing was labored, but he was breathing– but it looked like he'd run out of steam.

She winced and bowed her head. _I'm sorry._

* * *

Kyo stared at the card. _The Great Leviathan._ It looked like a giant serpent, suspended in the air and surrounded by the Seal of Orichalcos.

Its effect was powerful. And from the looks of it, definitely able to take on the two Phantom Gods with ease.

But it felt wrong.

There was something stirring in her chest; a writhing sensation that had appeared the moment she'd played the Orichalcos. That writhing sensation had been what had driven her to those dark acts she'd done; and unlike the Orichalcos, it hadn't faded from her heart after playing that card.

It was still there, waiting… and now, she knew what it was.

 _It's inside me._ She thought. _Born of all the anger and pain I'd felt. All the resentment and grief… all the darkness in my heart. That's where it came from._ She gazed at it.

 _And it's powerful. More powerful than anything I've ever encountered. The darkness in my soul… is more powerful than I'd ever imagined._

 _"Play that card."_ The Dark Magician of Chaos urged. _"It's the only way to defeat them. Play it!"_

She glanced up at him, then back down at the card. Her mind, however, flew back to a desert throne room and a glowing hourglass.

She looked down, but it wasn't around her neck anymore.

 _"Why are you hesitating?! Play that card!"_ He snarled.

 _But it means sacrificing you._ She pointed out.

His eyes narrowed. _"It's the only way to win!"_

 _But the Pharaoh destroyed this._ She thought. _This was the evil that sank Atlantis. It can't be our only hope._

 _"Well, it is."_ He said roughly. _"Revive the Great Beast and destroy these worthless worms!"_

She looked up, and their eyes met again.

 _He's been polluted by the Orichalcos._ She realized. _And it's my fault. I played that evil card._ Her jaw tightened. _Well, now it's time to set things straight._ She closed her eyes. _Dark Magician of Chaos?_ She thought, reaching out mentally.

There was a snarl of frustration, but it deepened, and the pockets of chaos that blanketed the field reformed before her mind's eye. They warped and twisted, but then the illusion was broken, and she saw the scales of the Leviathan, shifting across the surface of an immeasurable abyss. The malignant gaze turned up to her, piercing and paralyzing her, and it hissed in a clear warning as to the outcome of her defiance.

Her eyes narrowed. _I know, and I don't care._ She thought, balling her fist. _Where is my Chaos Mage?_

The Leviathan roared at her, but then she spotted him, bound to the surface of the beast's forehead with tentacle-like growths. A moment later, the Leviathan charged up an attack.

Kyo braced herself and darted around it, then flew forward. _Dark Magician of Chaos!_ She shouted, and he looked up. Recognizing her, he struggled, trying to raise his arm. But the Leviathan slithered away, snarling again.

 _Don't make me seal you, too._ Kyo growled. She flew forward, this time ignoring the blast. _I'll shield myself. That's the only way I can get close enough._

She wasn't quite sure how, but she imagined a bubble of energy around her – and there it was. The blast struck her a moment later, but she fought her way through it.

 _I'll save you!_ She thought as she fought her way through the blast. _Whatever it takes._

 _She was peering around a corner at two brutish boys. One of them opened the locker, and out fell a writhing mass of roaches. She smirked and slipped away._

 _"Augh!" Someone yelped, leaping off their chair with tears in their eyes, their hands over their butt. She fought back a grin and tried to look as surprised as everyone else._

 _She managed to dart around the corner just in time to avoid the primadonna girl clique as they headed into the bathroom. She only had to wait a second or two before their shrill shrieks could be heard complaining about the missing taps._

 _Barking. "Don't worry about it. That thing's chained." Except that this time, it wasn't…_

Kyo grimaced as the images of every prank and mishap she'd caused were thrown into her face. _I didn't hurt anyone._ She thought. _I did it to protect her._

 _"Nice hair!" Someone sneered._

 _A shocked look in that brilliant blue gaze._

 _"Hey, freak!"_

 _Kisara, her eyes filled with tears._

 _"Hmph. You, maybe. But your sister? Hah. As if." Girly snickers._

 _The rain pouring down on her, alone in a dirty alley. Just her, the street rats, and a starving white cat. "Guess they're not coming…"_

 _"You wanna know what they say about you?"_

 _"No. I don't care."_

 _"They say you're bad luck… no one wants to hang out with bad luck…"_

 _"Then I'll be alone. I don't need anyone anyway."_

She faltered as the pain –the source of her mischief– came back. So many images, flashing past – every moment she'd ever spent alone.

Even that time she'd resolved to be alone.

She started and looked up. She was suspended in some kind of black tar-like substance, with nothing but darkness for company.

 _Huh. Guess I'm alone now._ She thought.

 _"You are not alone."_

She blinked, but it was just a memory.

 _"I know it is not the same, but I will always be here if you need me."_

She gazed into the abyss. _I guess… I shouldn't have been so careless._ She thought. _Now…_

She hesitated. _Maybe I should try. Just… one more time._ She decided. _At least so I can give his hourglass back._

"Mahad?" She called.

And to her undying relief, a golden light appeared, resolving into the form of the Palladium Oracle.

He took one look and instantly flew forward, slashing through the bonds that held her. _"Milady,"_ He greeted as he pulled her from the Leviathan's embrace.

"Hey, Mahad." She clung to his armor, reveling in how solid and warm it was, and how safe she felt surrounded by his light.

But it was more than that.

"I'm sorry." She said, looking up.

His expression became faintly hurt, and somehow, she knew it was because she was apologizing for the umpteenth time – when to him, it didn't matter.

"I've been a fool." She said honestly. "I spent so much time focusing on the negative that I almost lost my soul." She looked down. "I didn't have any faith in myself at all… and I realize now that it was because of this that I didn't have any faith in my friends." She looked up again. "In Kisara… or in you."

 _"You should never have doubted."_ He said in a faint reproach, but his gaze softened. _"I am glad your faith has returned."_ He added, recognizing what her apology meant.

She hugged him. "Thank you for still having faith in me."

He seemed briefly uncomfortable, but his arms tightened around her. _"Of course, Milady. Now, let us banish this beast and take down the Phantom once and for all."_

"Sounds good to me." Kyo grinned.

He shifted her into one of his arms, lifting his staff in the other. The light around him grew brighter and brighter, burning away the darkness and all the anger and despair.

Then they were back. The pockets of chaos had closed, but Uria and Raviel were still standing on their side of the field, rumbling with impatience. The Dark Magician of Chaos was there, looking dazed and blank-eyed, and Kyo was still standing on her side of the field, still holding a card.

But it wasn't the Leviathan anymore.

She smiled. "I activate Magical Dimension!" She declared, flipping over one of her cards. "By tributing my Dark Magician of Chaos, I can summon a spellcaster from my hand, and I choose Palladium Oracle Mahad!"

The Chaos Mage faded without argument, and Mahad took the stage.

"Then, it also lets me destroy one monster on the field." She lifted her hand. "So I destroy Uria, Lord of Searing Flames!"

The Phantom God bellowed in outrage, but there was nothing it could do; cracks webbed across the twisted red scales, and a moment later, it shattered.

Kyo smirked. "Next, I–"

But Raviel turned, his attention fixing on something out of sight.

She blinked, surprised.

Then, Uria reappeared transparently, and both he and Raviel turned into twisters, shooting out of the dome and vanishing from sight.

"Hey!" Kyo shouted, but it was too late; they were gone.

There was a groan across the way, and she turned. The goblin was collapsing against the playing field on the other side, but he didn't look much like a goblin anymore.

She hopped down. "Mahad, check it out," She called as she hurried over.

He flew across and checked. _"He's human. He appears to be fine, just unconscious."_

Kyo sighed in relief. "That's good." She suddenly became aware of distant pounding and shouting, and looked around, but no one was there.

 _That's right, I pulled the fire alarm._ She remembered. _Guess they would've come to check things out, huh?_ She turned. "Mahad?"

He landed and knelt in front of her. _"What is your wish, Milady?"_

She felt a flicker of embarrassment, but decided not to fuss for the moment. "Can you give me a lift?" She asked.

He looked up. _"Where to?"_

"Atlantis."


	43. Regrouping

"How is he?" Kyo asked.

Kisara sighed. "He's breathing, but that's about as much as I can tell." She shook her head. "I'm not a medic, but I'm pretty sure his spine's broken. He hit the pillar really hard."

"Lady Kyo," Mahad said, and she turned to see Rafael and Eatos land, followed closely by Joey and Sirius riding a Red-Eyes Black Dragon.

"Rafael, Mr. Wheeler," Kyo greeted.

Joey marched over. "Now see 'ere, young lady." He started, bristling. "Why'd you run off like dat?! We was lookin' all over for ya! An' callin' chaos – what were you thinkin'?!"

"I wasn't." Kyo said honestly and repentantly. "I wanted to finish this. I was able to call two pieces of the Phantom, but the third came to Atlantis and defeated Lord Dartz."

"Master Dartz!" Rafael shouldered past them both and crouched beside the huddled form.

"Don't touch him!" Kisara said quickly. "His spine's broken. I think," She added when he glanced up.

He looked around. "Eatos!"

The angel came over and knelt beside them, running her hand over Dartz's body.

"So what 'appened?" Joey asked, though he was still glowering at Kyo.

"Lord Dartz was using some kind of ice deck, which worked for a while," Kisara said. "But then Je… Jesse, he… summoned his dragon and blasted him in one shot."

"Jesse, huh? Dat's his name?" Joey asked, clenching his fist. "I think it's time dat kid was taught a lesson."

"It's not his fault!" Kisara said defensively. "He was possessed by the Phantom. But now it's possessing Ra." She glanced over at the serpents, then back. "And now, he's…"

"We'll get him back, Kisara." Kyo promised. "And we'll defeat the Phantom."

"How?" Sirius piped up. "I mean, you're a great duelist an' all, but we were jus' barely hangin' in dere with just _one_ Phantom God. Now it's got all three."

Kyo turned, giving him a confident grin. "And I'm going to take all three of them down."

They all looked at her, surprised.

"How're you gonna do dat?" Joey frowned. "De on'y one who's ever beaten all three Egyptian God cards is Yugi."

"Besides, with that much power, they may just break the seal." Rafael said. "Which means your soul will be shredded, and the Phantom will finally tear our world apart."

"It can't." Kyo assured them. "I've made sure of that." She glanced at Mahad, then back. "My seal is even stronger now, which means it can only barely possess the body it's holding, and it certainly can't combine or break free."

"How?" Rafael frowned. "And why didn't you do that earlier if you could have?"

"I didn't know it was possible." Kyo said. "But the point is, it can't break the seal. So we still have a chance. All we have to do is defeat it in a duel, and I'm three for three now."

"Three for three? Did you defeat both Uria and Raviel?" Kisara asked.

"I'd destroyed Uria, and I was about to destroy Raviel, but then they took off." Kyo admitted. "So technically it was by forfeit, but–"

"An' what's t' stop dem from runnin' off, anyway?" Joey added. "If you can only win if you beat 'em in a duel, an' dey keep runnin' off when things ain't goin' so well for 'em…"

"You'd have to use the Seal of Orichalcos." Rafael said.

"No I don't, and I wouldn't even if I did." Kyo returned. "I'd be reviving the Great Leviathan if I did that, and that we _don't_ need."

"The Leviathan?" Kisara's eyes widened.

"Yeah." Kyo said quietly. "It tried to get me to revive it during my duel with Uria and Raviel." She turned. "With the seal being so strong now, they _can't_ run off. Like I said, they're barely able to possess Jesse as it is. They won't be able to run off without forfeiting."

"An' if you're wrong?" Joey pressed stubbornly.

"Well, that's where you'll come in." Kyo said reluctantly, setting a hand on her hip. "They can't fly away. They can't teleport away. They'd have to get away on foot. And _that's_ a lot easier to trap, even without the seal."

There was a pause.

"That just might work." Rafael said at last. "Nice work, kid."

Joey hesitated, then shrugged. "Long as everythin' goes the way you're thinkin'." He said. After a moment, he smiled. "Y'know, Yuge'd be really proud if he was here."

Kyo smiled back.

Rafael turned. "How's it looking, Eatos?"

She gave him a worried look. _"The damage is extensive. I've done what I can, but he needs a lot of rest, and should be moved as little as possible."_

Rafael grimaced. "Thanks. I know you're doing your best." He looked around. "Can we take him back to his chambers?"

She nodded.

Tenderly, he scooped Dartz up and turned. "I'll be right back. I'm gonna take Master Dartz someplace he can rest."

"Sounds good. We'll be here." Joey held up a thumb, and the others nodded with him.

He left, Eatos floating behind.

"So, how'd you tighten the seal, anyway?" Joey asked curiously, turning to her.

Kyo rubbed the back of her head. "Mahad helped me." She said. "Basically, I pushed more of my soul deeper into the scarab. So, just like the Phantom, _I'm_ barely hanging on." She gestured. "That's why Mahad is here full-time; I can't keep him summoned on my own, so he's crossed over into our world on his own power. That's, uh, why he's solid."

Joey raised his eyebrows and turned. "You can do dat?"

Mahad inclined his head. "It is within my power, yes." He said modestly.

"Nice." Joey grinned. "Don't suppose you could teach Red-Eyes 'ow t' stick around?"

"Unlikely." Mahad returned.

"Ah well. Worth a shot."

Kyo looked over at Sirius. "Are you okay?" She asked, feeling a little guilty. It had been her suggestion that he call his father.

"Could'a ben worse." He shrugged. "It wasn' as bad as bein' possessed, an' at least we got my dad back."

Kyo nodded. "Right. It's an odd thing to be grateful for, huh?"

"Yeah." He gave her an amused look. "The only time when getting' the soul sucked outta you's better than the alternative."

"Which tells ya just how bad things are." Joey said grimly.

Kyo hesitated. "Did… did my dad…?"

Joey shook his head. "'e wouldn' use it." He said quietly. "I don' think 'e ever would'a, not after… what 'appened. An' man, if I 'aven't wished a million times dat we didn't 'ave to," He shook his head again.

"What happened?" Kyo asked.

"Well, dis goes back a ways," Joey started. "But I really gotta tell you a bit more of the backstory. See, he had this thing, kinda like your scarab–"

They heard footsteps, and Rafael reappeared.

"Well, now that that's taken care of, let's go catch ourselves a Phantom." He said with enthusiasm.

Kyo hesitated. "It might be harder to find them now." She said. "Since the seal's so tight, they won't be emanating any chaotic energy even if they wanted to."

They glanced at each other.

"So how do we track 'em down?" Joey wondered. "Send out search parties?"

"He has a dueldisk." Kisara said quietly.

They all looked around at her.

"We could track him through the KaibaCorp network." She elaborated. She glanced over at Seto. "But Father…"

Rafael followed her gaze. "He's still out of it, huh?" He turned. "I'll take care of that." He strode over to the altar.

"Hang on a sec, Raf," Joey said.

"Lord Dartz said he was…" Kisara said at the same time.

Rafael glanced back.

"He said Father was badly torn up after Raviel possessed him." She said in a low voice. "He said he'd have to fix him first."

Rafael frowned, then looked down at Seto and touched his shoulder. There was a moment of silence, then, "Damn." He muttered. "Yeah, that I _can't_ fix." He turned. "Eatos?"

She alighted next to the altar and checked. There was another length of silence, then she looked up. _"Much of this is old. His spirit was shredded long ago, and the Phantom merely tore along old scars."_

Rafael's eyes widened. "You mean this isn't the first time his soul's been shredded?" He queried, surprised. "When was the last time?"

She shrugged. _"I'm not sure."_ She tilted her head. _"It is possible he could heal himself if he had help."_

"What do you need?" Rafael asked instantly.

Her gaze switched to Kisara. _"Someone close."_

She came over instantly. "How can I help?"

 _"You must reach into his mind and find his soul."_ Eatos said. _"If you can help, you will know what to do."_


	44. City of Shadows

It was raining.

Kisara was standing in the center of the street, staring up at a city in ruins. It had once been grand; what little there was left alluded to a charismatic blend of Ancient Egypt and futuristic architecture. A few lights were still flickering defiantly here and there, but there were no signs of life.

She looked up and blinked as the rain struck her face. A few moments ago, she had placed her hand on her father's shoulder at Eatos's direction. The angelic spirit had said that she might see memories, a vision, or a place; these being what one might see when one peers into the soul of another.

She could almost believe it, too. The city would have been awe-inspiring; certainly worthy of her father's creative, yet advanced mind. But the sight of it in ruins made her wish it was anything but a reflection of his mind. The thought that this was the manifestation of her father's soul was heartbreaking.

 _What do I do?_ She wondered, looking around. It would take entire construction crews decades to rebuild this place. How was she supposed to fix him by herself?

 _"Look deeper."_

She jumped and whirled. "Eatos?" She gasped. "What is this place? What's going on?"

The angel shook her head. _"I can barely reach you as it is. You are in his mind; look for his soul. Look deeper. I cannot follow… and I cannot hear you. All I can hope is that you can hear me. Look deeper; find his soul."_

"I don't understand." Kisara said, but Eatos was fading. "Wait! Where do I even…"

Then she was alone.

She shivered and looked around. _Where do I even start?_ She wondered. _This city's so big! He could be anywhere!_

She stopped. There was another time she'd been thinking that very same thing. She remembered it clearly, because it was the moment she made contact with the Blue-Eyes Divine Dragon.

She looked up again. "Blue-Eyes?" She called.

The dragon appeared beside her, its wings stretching over her like a vast umbrella.

"Can you find Father?" She asked.

The dragon looked down at her, then turned and started off down a rubble-strewn street.

She followed. _I'm coming, Father._

* * *

Eatos straightened. _"It is up to Kisara now."_ She said quietly. _"It may take some time."_

"Thanks, Eatos." Rafael said. He turned. "You should get moving; you might find them even without the dueldisk system. I'll stay here and protect these three. Call if you find anything, and I'll call when they wake up."

"Right. Sooner we take care a' dis, the better." Joey nodded. "C'mon, Sirius. You too, Kyo. Let's see if we can track dis thing down an' rescue your friend."

Sirius went, but Kyo hesitated, glancing back at the altar. She had hoped to have a chance to talk with Kisara, and try to explain herself, but it seemed she wouldn't get the chance to, not until this had all blown over.

Mahad touched her shoulder, and she looked up. His expression was solemn, but quietly confident. _"She'll be fine. They both will."_ He said privately.

She smiled ruefully. _That's not what I'm worried about._

He was briefly puzzled, but then he understood. He paused, and it seemed as if he was searching for something to say.

She touched the hand on her shoulder. _Thank you._ She said in silent acknowledgment of his attempt. _We'll work it out as it comes. Until then, there's no point worrying about it._

His expression softened. _"You are very brave, Milady."_

She chuckled wryly and turned. _More like I worry too much._

* * *

As she walked through the ruined streets, Kisara started to get a sense of vertigo. One moment, she was looking up at the ruins, and the next she was looking down at them, as if through the eyes of her dragon.

The effect grew stronger as they went deeper, until she was forced to stop because she felt so dizzy.

 _Okay. One or the other._ She decided. She looked up at the dragon, then closed her eyes. When she opened them, she was standing over the streets, and her human body was nowhere to be seen.

 _This is definitely… different._ She thought, looking around as she landed. _Why am I… my dragon? Is it because it's my spirit?_

 _It's not like Kyo and Mahad, though._ She noted. _They're two different people._

 _Hm._

She lifted her head, trying to reach out. Her dragon had been leading her somewhere; hopefully, she could still sense whatever it had been following, even though she was now the dragon.

She spent a few moments cycling through her senses. She couldn't see anything particular about the direction she was heading, and the rain drowned out any sound she might have followed. The world smelled like ozone.

Then she caught it. It wasn't any of her regular senses, but it was one she had begun to notice after summoning her dragon for the first time; a discernment of someone nearby, and somehow a recognition of who they were, if they were familiar to her. She could sense him. It was faint, but it was there.

She followed the sensation through the streets to an area that looked like the center of a blast zone. There, she paused, taking in the scene. Even with the rain, there were still fires, though they seemed ghostly in the gloom. Smoke and vapors rose like a fog, blanketing the scene in a cloud of confusion, or perhaps in an attempt to obscure what lay within.

She felt a little chill. Was this where Raviel had struck? What would she see? Would she find her father… or would she find the ghoul that the Phantom had briefly turned him into?

The thought almost made her turn back. It hadn't really occurred to her, but as she gazed down at the destruction, she realized that if she continued, she would find something that wasn't her strong and steady father. She didn't want to see him like this; she didn't want to know that her father could be… broken. It would be like the sun deciding not to come up, leaving the world shrouded in darkness.

 _Father…_ A small whine escaped her throat, and she stood paralyzed at the edge of the blast zone, unable to proceed.

The rain kept falling, and she wondered if it would eventually put out the flames and wash away the smoke on its own. Would he eventually get over it? Could he heal by himself? Could he rebuild everything, and restore this city to its former glory without her?

Her heart twinged with guilty hope. Maybe she _could_ leave. Then she wouldn't have to see her father, her protector, her rock… like this.

She sensed motion in the smog, and started. She thought she was going to run, but instead of turning tail, she bounded forward, her heart in her throat – a part of her utterly confused as to why she was trying to get closer.

 _Father?_ She called, casting around. The movement had ceased, and a sudden terror gripped her. Maybe he _wouldn't_ recover. Maybe this was too much; maybe he was about to die.

And the thought of not saying goodbye was worse.

 _Father!_ She called, hunting through the smog. _Father, where are you?!_

There was another flicker of movement, and she spun, bounding towards it, her eyes wide as she tried to search for that presence that had been with her for her entire life.

She skidded to a halt.

Right in the very center of the crater was her father. He was lying on his back, his eyes open, but sightless. He was lying utterly still; it wasn't his movement that had attracted her.

It was a baby.

There was an infant lying against his side, wriggling uncomfortably as the rain poured down. But whether it was mute or just knew there was no point to crying, it was silent, seeking only to snuggle a little closer to the only body nearby.

Her eyes widened, and she stared, paralyzed with shock.

 _I remember this._

It was a nightmare that had come up occasionally across the years. She'd thought it was simply the fear that her father would die someday, despite him being such a strong, steady presence. She could remember it clearly – lying beside his cold and still body, unable to speak or make a sound. The rain, falling against them and running down their cheeks like tears.

She almost took a step back. Every single nerve in her body was screaming at her to run; the horror was overwhelming. But she didn't move.

 _It…_

 _It wasn't…_

She let out a soft gasp of grief and sorrow. It wasn't just a nightmare. This was a memory.

* * *

The Red-Eyes landed on a building and crouched. Sirius hopped down, and Joey followed, both of them stretching their stiff limbs.

Mahad alighted beside them, depositing Kyo gently to the roof.

"Thank you," She said quietly.

"Of course, Milady." He inclined his head.

She turned to the others.

"I was thinkin'," Joey said as they came over. "Dat Phantom's not gonna make it easy f'r us t' find 'im. 'Specially since ya tightened everythin' down an' dey can't go runnin' around messin' stuff up."

Kyo nodded. "We may have to wait for Kisara and Mr. Kaiba." She said reluctantly.

"Yeah. In the meantime," Joey went on, "We might 'ave better luck if we split up."

She hesitated. "I'm not sure that would be wise." She said, again reluctantly. "If it manages to catch one of us off guard, we might get in serious trouble."

"Hey. We still got backup." He pointed out. "Sirius an' I'd be a team, an' you've got your fancy Egyptian magician." He squinted suddenly, struck by a thought. "Speakin' o' which," He added a little suspiciously. "You remind me of someone, Mahad. Can't put my finger on it, but I feel like I know ya from somewhere."

Kyo blinked. "You know Mahad?" She asked, looking up at him.

She understood as soon as he opened his mouth. "You would know me as the Dark Magician." Mahad twisted his wrist, and suddenly he was clad in the purple robes of his original form.

Joey leapt about three feet in the air. "WAT?! The Dark Magician?!" He exclaimed in alarm, looking as if he was staring at a ghost.

"What is it?" Sirius asked quickly, surprised by his reaction.

Kyo thought she knew, though; his shock was likely due to the fact that it had been Yugi's favorite monster up until the Pharaoh had left.

Joey's voice became hoarse. "Dat… dat's…" For a moment, it seemed as if he didn't know what to say.

Kyo looked up at Mahad, who seemed faintly grieved. She blinked in surprise. _Mahad?_

He didn't answer.

"Man, it's ben a while." Joey managed at last.

Mahad looked away, and his robes returned to normal. Kyo tilted her head, but he didn't meet her gaze.

"Did 'e give 'im to ya?" Joey asked, looking over at Kyo, and she got the sudden impression he was trying to figure out where Mahad had been.

"He left Mahad for me in a safety deposit box." Kyo explained. "Along with the Egyptian Gods and a few other cards."

Joey frowned. "When?" He asked.

"After he…" She paused, suddenly realizing something.

 _He didn't use Mahad. Not even when he was about to die._

"Oh." Joey swallowed his disappointment.

Mahad didn't speak, but his sorrow and remorse were apparent enough, and an awkward silence fell.

"Well," Kyo said bravely, hoping she wasn't being tactless. "What's done is done. Dad gave his life trying to stop the Phantom, and it's up to us to make sure he didn't die for nothing." She squared her shoulders.

"You're right." Joey nodded, relieved. "We gotta find dis thing an' take it out once an' for all." He gave Mahad a faintly apologetic look, then turned back to Kyo. "So we'll split up. You know 'ow t' call us, right?"

She hesitated, looking up at Mahad. The remorse had vanished for the moment; he nodded. "I can." He said quietly.

"Cool. Right." Joey turned. "When y' get tired, jus' head back to Atlantis. We're safer there."

Kyo thought about how Jesse had marched in, taken out Dartz, and stolen Ra, but decided not to bring it up. Hopefully, since the Phantom wasn't able to use its powers, it wouldn't be able to even reach Atlantis now… not with an ocean in the way.

"All right. We'll meet back there, then, or call if we find anything." She said, turning to Mahad.

He scooped her up, for all the world perfectly fine. But his silence was telling, and as they flew over the city, Kyo felt the awkward tension return.

 _If Dad had summoned Mahad back then…_

 _Would he still be alive?_


	45. Kisara's Mother, Pt 1

Kisara padded forward silently, folding her wings across her back and bringing her head down close. Another echo of vertigo passed through her, and she saw again through other eyes – through the infant's eyes, up into the face of a white dragon. But it was the White Dragon, not the Divine Dragon – not her.

 _Mother._ She realized suddenly, and in the same instant, she had taken the place of the infant, and was staring up at large, sapphire eyes.

They stared at each other for a long moment, and slowly, the question made its way to the surface of her thoughts.

 _Why?_

The rain gathered in the corner of the dragon's eye and spilled down its cheek, and a soft whine of sorrow escaped its throat. The dragon leaned close, nuzzling her in a display of love and regret, and she felt her heart hitch in echoed pain.

Then, the world began to rebuild itself.

Instinctively, Kisara knew they were traveling backwards through memory; the ruins were still there, but the dragon was trying to show her what had led up to this, in answer to her desperate query.

* * *

A tablet, carved with the images of two Egyptians facing each other. One looked like Kyo's father, while the other looked like hers. Above them were carved two creatures – the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, and the Dark Magician. And above them, the three Egyptian Gods.

Seto was standing there, holding three cards in one hand. For a brief moment, Kisara thought he was holding the Egyptian Gods, but then she recognized the Blue-Eyes cards as he lifted them up to the tablet.

A light emanated from the tablet, and Seto stepped back, stiffening in surprise. The light shone down on him, and a moment later, he slumped, passing out on the floor.

* * *

They were standing on a balcony, gazing out from an Egyptian palace. Seto seemed a little dazed, but took in the situation with a familiar skepticism.

A Blue-Eyes flew overhead, and they both looked up as it circled back around. Seto stepped back, and Kisara stepped to the side as it flew towards them, landing on the wall and stepping down. It briefly enveloped in white light before taking the form of a young woman who looked identical to Kisara. So like her, in fact, that Kisara felt another wave of vertigo – only this time, she didn't see through the other's eyes.

"It's you," Seto said in recognition.

The brilliant blue eyes gazed back through a curtain of long white hair.

"Kisara." He added. It wasn't a question; he knew exactly who she was.

She smiled back. "Hello, Seto." She said softly.

* * *

They were back in the tomb with the tablet. Kisara looked down as her father stirred, groaning. He pushed himself up and looked around, his expression dazed again.

He got to his feet. "Kisara?" He called, his tone filled with uncertainty. It sounded almost as if he was half-ready to buy into magic, but hadn't quite accepted it yet.

The transparent image of her mother appeared beside him.

He turned, eyeing her cautiously.

She gave him a wry smile. _"You're not hallucinating, Seto."_ She said quietly.

"That's what you _would_ say." He noted, still suspicious.

She solidified. "Then test it." She said. "A shared hallucination is a lot less likely, and strangers on the street would have no reason to lie about me standing here."

He thought about that. "Fine. But I pick which people we test."

She gave him an amused look. "Then lead the way."

* * *

"Ah, Mr. Kaiba! How was your little trip to Egypt?" One of the board of directors asked, glancing sideways at his white-haired companion, who had changed out of her peasant sackcloth and was wearing a slim white business skirt.

"Fine." Seto said shortly. "This is Kisara Blue." He introduced. "My fiancée."

There were hushed exclamations of surprise around the room, and Kisara raised her eyebrows. _That fast?_

 _Doesn't matter how long his trip was. If it was any definition of 'little'…_

He turned, gesturing. "My office is back there. I'll be done in a minute." He said quietly.

Her mother nodded and headed to the door he'd pointed to.

Seto turned back to the board. "Let's get down to business."

* * *

"WAT?!"

Joey looked stunned. Yugi and Téa, as well as a few others Kisara didn't know, were all staring at Seto as if he'd grown an extra head.

"I'm not going to say it again, Wheeler." Seto growled in annoyance.

"Yeah… but… you _said_ it…" Joey managed faintly. Then he bristled. "The entire time we've known ya, you've always been like 'dis is just some hocus-pocus magic trick', den all of a sudden you're ENGAGED? To BLUE-EYES WHITE DRAGON?!"

Seto rolled his eyes.

"I think what Joey's trying to say," Yugi said in a more reasonable tone. "Is that this seems a bit… fast. What changed your mind?"

Seto glanced over at his companion, then back. After a moment, he shrugged, his mouth twitching in a smirk. "What can I say? It's no secret I'm obsessed."

None of them looked remotely comforted.

"Well," Téa said after a moment, as if struggling to find something not terrible to say. "Congratulations. On your engagement, I mean."

A brown-haired man Kisara didn't know nodded. "Yeah. I guess. What she said."

"I ain't lettin' you off the hook dat easily, Kaiba." Joey growled. "You don' get to ignore us for years, den turn around an' say it's all true without so much as an apology, or 'Whoops, guess you were right all along'."

Seto ignored him.

"Hey! I'm talkin' to ya, Rich Boy! I know you can 'ear me!" Joey shouted, running up as he turned to leave.

Kisara's mother stepped smoothly between them, her eyes flashing dangerously. She didn't say a word, but Joey was brought up short, and gave her a wary look.

Seto smirked. "Careful, Wheeler. She doesn't just bite."

* * *

There was a knock. They were back in Seto's office, though Kisara's mother wasn't there.

"Sir, a Mr. Moto's here to see you."

"Let him in." Seto said without looking up from his computer as he typed.

A moment later, Yugi stepped inside, looking faintly apprehensive. "Hey, Kaiba." He said as he closed the door behind him.

"Hey." He said as he continued to type.

"I, uh," Yugi started a little awkwardly. His tone sounded exactly like Kyo's and Kisara's whenever they were about to say something they knew Seto wouldn't like. "How… how are things with you and Kisara?" He asked instead.

"They're going well." The CEO finished typing, then clicked his mouse and got to his feet.

"That's good," Yugi said quickly. He steeled himself. "Have you, uh, thought about what it means? You know, um, the fact that she's a spirit?"

Seto gave him a dry look. "The thought might have crossed my mind." He said wryly. He turned, gesturing in a clear invitation, and Yugi followed him over to the window to gaze down at the city below.

He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. "I heard about you and Téa." He said, and Kisara did a double take. He sounded almost… _sympathetic_.

Yugi shrugged uncomfortably. "We're working through it." He said evasively. He looked up. "I'm not talking about the… um, personal things, actually. Lord Dartz said that you and Kisara should all still work just fine–"

"Dartz?" Seto started and frowned. "He's still alive? And you're in touch with that maniac?"

"He was being controlled by the Orichalcos, Kaiba." Yugi reminded him. "He's actually a decent person, just–"

Seto snorted. "Do you even hear yourself? 'No, the evil maniac fond of stealing souls was just being controlled; he's actually a nice guy.' He had ten _thousand_ years to break the spell. Do you really think that by beating him once you've shown him the light, and now he's magically back on the good side?"

Yugi's mouth was open as if to argue, but he seemed a little taken aback. Then he smiled ruefully. "Do you have any idea how strange it is to be hearing words like that come out of your mouth?" He asked, amused.

Seto spared him a small smirk, then said, "Doesn't change the facts."

Yugi shrugged. "Well, if you think he's lying about that part, then don't sleep with her. But that's not what I wanted to talk about anyway." He added quickly without missing a beat. "He also said that this wasn't the first time that, uh, a human and a spirit have gotten together."

"What's your point?" Seto muttered, a shade of his usual impatience returning.

"Well," Yugi seemed to pick his next words very carefully. "Think of it this way. Kisara is… like KaibaCorp. An extremely powerful entity, maybe the most powerful entity in her field. But there are a lot of others out there who would leap at the chance to take her down." He paused, then proceeded rather delicately. "Say she's not able to protect herself. Or maybe she is, but enough of them _think_ she can't. For whatever reason."

Seto's eyes narrowed.

"Just… food for thought." Yugi said, perhaps prudently in the face of Seto's disapproval.

There was silence.

"She's really done a number on you." Yugi noted, the surprise and amusement returning to his voice. "I hope she sticks around."

* * *

The car pulled up in front of the mansion, and Seto was out almost before it stopped. He went around to the other door, beating his own lackeys to open it for his companion. Kisara's mother got out a little awkwardly, one hand on a swollen belly, and the other holding Seto's to steady herself.

"Thank you." Her mother said softly.

"Of course." He replied gently.

Kisara, standing invisibly nearby, felt her heart melt at the sight of the two, and almost immediately felt cheated and wounded. This Seto looked young, even younger than the memories from before. The tender affection in his eyes made what was normally cold and remote seem like another person entirely.

 _This is how it should have been._ She thought, tears leaping to her eyes. She could see how happy he was, and it was almost too much to bear to think that she had been robbed of this warm, gentle father. As terrible as it was to see this, though, she knew the end result; Seto, blind to the future, had no idea that he was about to be robbed of all his happiness.

 _It's not fair._ Kisara thought, weeping as Seto smiled. She turned away from the scene, her heart keening with pain; why did she need to see all this?

The Blue-Eyes White Dragon was hovering behind her.

 _"Why?"_ She asked. _"Why did you leave?"_

The dragon gazed back for a moment, then turned back to the scene, as if to tell her to watch. She hesitated, but turned, and watched her parents head up the steps to the house.

"Oh, I forgot," Her mother looked back. "The folder–"

"I'll get it." Seto said quickly, turning and trotting back down the stairs to grab it.

Kisara's eyes widened in horror, and she ran forward. _"MOTHER!"_

But even as the creature melted out of the shadows, there was a ripple in the air, and a dragon burst out, seizing the creature in its jaws and dragging it away with a snarl.

Seto spun, shocked, and Kisara's mother took two steps away, her eyes widening and hardening as she placed her hands protectively over her belly.

The dragon wrestled the beast for a few moments, but quickly bested it and turned, letting out a triumphant call. The people below yelled in alarm, but Seto was just running up to where his companion was standing, ready to protect her.

Kisara skidded to a halt, staring at them in surprise. _Where did that come from?_

"I'm fine." Her mother said quietly.

Seto eyed her, then turned. "Good work, Dimension Dragon." He said, and the dragon huffed before passing back through another ripple in the air.

 _Oh. He must have summoned it._ Kisara thought, then frowned. _But he didn't summon it just now. He must have had it summoned already._

 _To keep watch._ She realized. _He listened to Mr. Moto._

Seto's expression had hardened, but even though she could tell he was contemplating something with deadly seriousness, it still lacked the cold bitterness she knew.

"I can't change, not with a baby." Her mother said quietly, touching her belly. "Seto…"

"Trust me." He replied, pulling her into an embrace. "I won't let anything happen to you."

She surrendered, and he kissed her hair before leading her inside.


	46. Taking a Break

_It's late._

 _We must have searched the entire city._

Kyo looked up. Mahad glanced down and met her gaze, and a moment later, he landed on a nearby roof.

"Guess we're not getting anywhere." She said, feeling disheartened. "With the seal so tight, they aren't giving off even a peep of chaotic energy."

"We cannot release the seal, even a little." Mahad replied, but she shook her head quickly.

"I wasn't planning to." She stretched, yawning. "Well, let's head back to Atlantis. If we haven't heard anything yet, I doubt we will." She paused. "I hope Kisara's having better luck than we are."

"Mm." Mahad inclined his head and scooped her up again.

XXX

Clouds obscured the stars above, and as they entered the temple, rain started to fall.

Rafael was waiting to greet them. "No luck, huh?" He queried as they came up.

"None." Kyo shook her head. "How are things here?"

"Not good." He glanced back. "The Kaibas haven't woken up, and Master Dartz got a fever. Eatos is taking care of him as best she can. Technically, he won't die; he can't. Not until his mission's complete."

Kyo blinked. "A thousand years, right?"

"Nine hundred seventy nine." Rafael corrected, the corner of his mouth twitching in faint humor. "But that doesn't mean he can just regenerate. And that's a long time to be hurting."

"Heh," Kyo rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, I'm guessing that the Phantom would have done some damage by now if it could have. And we can't track it, not with the seal as tight as it is."

"And if we loosened it even for a moment," Mahad added, "The Phantom would recombine."

Rafael nodded. "We can be patient, especially if they aren't wrecking the place." He gestured. "The temple's only got the one room, but Atlantis is an entire city, and there's no one left to live in it except us spirits. You want a bunk, take your pick."

Kyo blinked and glanced out at the city round about, shrouded in curtains of rain. Much as she loved the rain, though, she didn't feel like getting soaked at the moment.

"Thank you, but I think I'll stay here for now." She said politely.

He shrugged. "Suit yourself. I'm keeping watch, so don't feel like you gotta stay up all night."

Kyo noticed he wasn't exactly talking to her, and looked up at Mahad. _Oh, do you need to sleep?_ She asked mentally, kicking herself for not thinking about that sooner.

He glanced down at her. _"Having returned to this world, I am subject to such rules."_ He said briefly. _"But my magic allows me to be alerted when danger approaches. I will not be caught off guard."_

She smiled back. Then started and looked back around. "Wait, _you_ don't need sleep?" She queried.

Rafael gave her an amused look. "I'm dead."

She stared at him.

"Master Dartz is stuck here for a thousand years, and I said I'd stay with him until his mission's complete." Rafael explained. "To do that, he had to separate me from my body. So, now I'm tied, as a spirit, to the Orichalcos. My body's dead. And as a side effect, I don't need to rest nearly as much."

Kyo blinked. "When do you have to rest?"

"When I'm tired." He shrugged. "Usually after a few battles if they're right in a row, or a couple of months if things are quiet."

"Huh." Kyo noted, then cupped her scarab. "Guess this doesn't mean the same thing," She said, thinking about how her spirit was now inside it.

"Not exactly." He said, turning. "Well, sleep wherever you like. I'll be upstairs with Master Dartz unless someone else shows up."

He left.

Kyo wandered over to the altar. Seto and Kisara were lying side by side, both unconscious. Nothing seemed to have changed, but then she noticed the evidence of tears on her sister's cheeks.

 _Kisara…_ Kyo gazed down at her pale face, but she resisted the temptation to wipe the tears away; she didn't want to disturb them, in case Kisara was close to fixing things.

 _Still,_ She thought as she knelt beside the altar. _I wish there was something I could do to help._

A few seconds passed, and she looked up again, getting to her feet. "So where do you want to sleep, Mahad?" She asked.

He started, looking a little alarmed by her question. "Um, I don't…"

She blinked, surprised at his response. But she was well used to people who couldn't make up their minds; that was how Kisara had been. So she turned and looked around at the room, letting Mahad get a chance to recover.

"I don't really want to sleep here," She mused. "I'm not fond of the vibe." She looked back at the altar. "But I want to be here in case they wake up." She paused. "Though they may want some privacy when they do…" She rubbed her head. "Okay, then maybe there's a house nearby?"

She looked up; Mahad had had enough time to regain his composure. "That sounds like an excellent choice, Milady." He said with an attempt at calmness.

She hid a smile and nodded, heading for the exit. "Then let's find someplace." She sighed. "Though I'd rather not get soaked, so hopefully someplace close."

He followed, lifting his staff. "Do not worry about the rain, Lady Kyo. It will not touch us."

She looked up as a faint bubble extended over them, and smiled. "Thank you, Mahad."

"Of course." He inclined his head. "My lady need not fear."

She stifled a chuckle and turned as the rain started to batter his shield. It bounced off with tiny plinks to hit the stone below.

The temple was more removed from the city than she'd expected; it would take several minutes at least to find a building, and that was assuming the one she picked had beds. Kyo turned, looking around at the temple grounds, and saw something else that interested her.

"Lady Kyo?" Mahad queried in puzzlement when she turned away from the city.

"What?" She asked, grinning. "I love the rain." She walked up to the large gazebo and stepped under its eaves. The edges were damp, but the moisture faded away to a large dry patch in the center.

"No." Mahad said firmly.

Kyo gasped as he scooped her up.

He turned and took off. "My lady will not be sleeping out in the open." He continued in an adamant tone.

"I… okay." Kyo's vague disappointment vanished rapidly. _It wouldn't have been the first time, but… he's probably right. I shouldn't be that careless right now._

Mahad cast around for a moment or two, then picked a building with a balcony and landed on it. The doors opened, and he carried her inside.

"I can walk," She said, feeling a little uncomfortable, but he ignored her.

There was a large four-poster bed with ornamental brown-and-gold drapes, which he deposited her on with an almost determined air.

She stiffened, feeling a flicker of uncertainty as she looked up at him, but the look on his face was so funny that it vanished. "This isn't the first time I've tried to sleep outside, is it?" She asked, amused, as she sat up.

He twitched, his eyes narrowing. "No." He said shortly.

She tried not to smile and failed. "How far did I get last time?"

He gave her a flat look and turned away, not answering.

"Sorry," She said. "Where are you going?"

He found a seat on the floor and sat down with his back against the wall. "Right here, so I may keep watch."

She frowned at him. "The bed's big enough for both of us, you know."

His face colored a little. "Lady Kyo, I am your servant. Do not say such improper things."

It was her turn to give him the flat look. "What, and sitting there staring at me while I sleep isn't improper?"

He shifted. "It is my duty to protect you. It is not my duty to… be that close."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine." She got out of bed.

"Where are you going?" He asked, rising.

She found a corner and sat down. "Right here, so I can listen to the rain."

He stared at her. "You can hear the rain just fine from the bed." He pointed out.

"I can hear it just fine from right here, too." She returned mulishly.

He gave her a disapproving look. "You should not sleep on the floor."

"Neither should you." She said as she curled up against the wall.

"Milady…" He began, but whatever argument he was preparing lost its way and petered out.

She laid her head against the wall and closed her eyes. "Goodnight, Mahad."

There was silence.

Then there was a rustle, and a moment later, he'd scooped her up again.

She gave him a disgruntled look as he carried her back over to the bed. He gazed down at her for a moment before going around to the other side.

She smiled and kicked off her boots, discarding her jacket, and crawled under the covers. He sat down on the edge of the bed, and she raised her eyebrows, but she decided that pointing out that his armor would probably be uncomfortable to sleep in would be taking it too far.

It dissolved in a brief golden glow, and he, still clad in white robes and a black undergarment, laid down with his back to her.

She eyed him for a moment. "If you fall off, I'm going outside." She threatened.

He didn't say anything, but he scooted an inch closer.

She smiled and laid down, turning to look out at the rain falling outside.

 _Goodnight, Mahad._ She thought as her eyes slid shut.


	47. Kisara's Mother, Part II

The next scene was in a dark room, lit only by a panel of screens. Seto was tapping the screens, occasionally glancing over at a technological table covered with Duel Monsters cards.

Kisara came over and glanced up at the clock on the screen; it read zero-three-four-eight. She blinked and looked back at her father, but he showed no sign of fatigue, only a familiar, all-consuming focus as he worked. She looked around, but her mother wasn't there; she was probably sleeping.

 _Do spirits sleep?_ Kisara wondered suddenly. _I guess… if he keeps her summoned…_

There was a sputter, and she whipped around to see the table light up. One of the cards was illuminated in particular, and a Battle Ox appeared, crouching on the table. It looked around, and its eyes focused on Seto.

He tapped the screen again, and this time, a hologram of his wife popped up, facing an ogre of some kind.

The Battle Ox hopped down and stepped between them, raising its ax and growling at the ogre. The ogre lumbered forward, and the Ox pounced, slicing through it with a snarl.

Seto waited.

The Ox turned, glancing around the room, but after a moment, it bowed its head, and dissipated into shadow.

Seto's mouth twisted into a triumphant smirk. He turned, adjusting some settings, then started up the hologram again. The ogre was real this time; Kisara could sense it.

It sneered down at her mother, lumbering forward again, but as it raised its claw to swipe, a fissure appeared quite suddenly right beneath its feet, and it fell with a howl.

Seto stood up, hustling over to the table, and scooped up the cards. He paused, gazing at the surface for a moment, and Kisara was surprised to see that it was covered in hieroglyphics – each one designed to light up.

 _Did he…_ She stared at it, astonished. _Did he find a way to actually summon monsters and activate cards… for real… without using his own power?_

She felt a flash of awe and pride. It hadn't even occurred to her that something like that might be possible, but if anyone could have figured it out, it would have been her father.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," He said, and the door opened.

Her mother was standing there, looking sleepy. "Are you still working?" She mumbled.

"I just finished." He said triumphantly, stepping back and placing his hand on the table. "This device summons monsters and gives them instructions on its own. Once added to my security, it will be able to provide protection even if I'm not here."

Her eyes widened, and she looked as stunned as Kisara had been. "Is that even possible?" She asked, surprised.

He smirked. "It wasn't easy, but nothing's impossible." He said with pride.

She looked impressed. "What powers it?" She asked.

He turned to the table and pulled out a key card like the one hanging around his neck. He popped it open and turned, and Kisara started in shock, her hand flying to her key card… because it was the same one.

Inside the key card was a minute set of gears, though the one Seto was holding was whirring and clicking.

"What is it?" Her mother asked as Kisara opened up her version.

"A harvester." Seto explained. "Once it's activated, it pulls in energy from the Shadow Realm and processes it. That then gets fed into the altar here," He gestured at the table. "Which contains the spellwork needed to summon monsters or activate spells or traps." He turned back to the amulet. "It can be switched off here," He demonstrated, "Which stops the harvesting process and dissipates any excess energy." A small puff of purple energy appeared, rapidly fading.

Both Kisaras watched him in fascination.

"To activate it, switch it back on and feed it power." He did so, a brief look of focus appearing on his face before the key card whirred back to life. "Whoever does that will sense when it starts drawing more energy, such as when it summons monsters or activates spells or traps." He clicked it shut and turned, sticking it back in the altar. "For the moment, it just works in here. But I'll start expanding the system to include the mansion." He looked back at her. "So you'll always be safe here."

Her mother smiled softly. "Thank you, Seto." She murmured, leaning up and kissing him.

* * *

They were standing on the lawn. There was a suspicious-looking crater in the center, and all the bushes nearby were on fire. Whatever had happened, however, was now over; firemen were there, spraying things down, and an officer was apologizing profusely to Seto and assuring him they'd do everything they could to find out who'd done this.

Seto dismissed him graciously and came back to where his companion was standing, her belly now large; she was close, then, to giving birth to the daughter standing unseen beside them.

"That's the third one your traps caught." She said, impressed. "Your technology is amazing."

Seto smirked. "Was there ever any doubt?"

She smiled back. "Of course not."

They embraced each other, and his had slid down to her swollen belly.

"Soon," He said softly, and the look in his eyes made Kisara both glow with happiness and cry with sorrow.

"Soon," Her mother agreed. She sighed in contentment and leaned against Seto's chest. "Can you feel her?"

"Yeah." He kissed her hair. "You should probably stay here." He said, both quiet and reluctant. "They're insisting we meet at a 'neutral location'." He said in dry amusement. "So KaibaCorp's out. You _could_ stay there –the security system is just as good there as here– but at that point you might as well stay here instead of running all over town."

"Okay." She nodded. "I can be patient."

He chuckled and bent down, kissing her. "I'll be back soon." He promised.

She smiled as she watched him go.

The scene dimmed, and Kisara blinked. She looked back at the Blue-Eyes, and saw very plainly the expression of sorrow on its face.

 _"Was that…"_ She wondered, looking back at her mother. _"Was that the last time…"_

The dragon let out a soft warble in answer.

She felt a chill. _It must have failed. Something went wrong. The protection stopped working…_

 _And he couldn't save her._

She covered her mouth, tears forming again in her eyes. She knew what she would see next, and she didn't want to see it. But at the same time, she also wanted to know… the end of the story. Her father very plainly believed in magic here, and was using it to protect her mother. And it had been working. So where did he go wrong? Was it the machine's failure that led him to lose faith in magic?

She didn't want to know… but she didn't turn away.

 _"I'm ready."_ She said quietly.

* * *

It was the meeting room. The table was a circle, with businessmen sitting all around the edges. Seto was standing at one end, obviously in the middle of a speech of some kind. But something was off.

Kisara looked around. Where would the call come from? Would it be someone bursting into the room, panting with fear, or would there be an explosion out the window?

It was neither of these things. In fact, it didn't seem to have anything to do with her mother at all.

One moment, Seto was discussing the future of gaming. The next thing they knew, the room was filled with monsters.

Kisara screamed in alarm and fell over backwards as she scrambled out of the way. But they weren't after her; she wasn't there, after all. The businessmen were all lying facedown on the desk in front of them; the fiends had emerged from their bodies and were grinning as one down at a very startled Seto Kaiba.

 _"Your tricks may have protected the White Dragon,"_ One of the fiends hissed, _"But you are mortal."_

 _"We will have her, one way or another."_ Another snickered.

 _"We'll leave a trail of crumbs to follow!"_

 _"A trail of meat, anyway…"_

Seto's eyes flashed. "Big mistake." He growled, reaching into his jacket.

They pounced, but were blasted back by an assortment of Seto's monsters.

Kisara got up, trying to peer through the battle, but there was an odd ringing, and the world seemed blurred. Monsters were clawing out of the walls, and Seto was shouting a battlecry. The XYZ Dragon Cannon burst onto the scene, taking out a large chunk of the walls and ceiling. The whole thing felt surreal, though, and Kisara got the funny impression that this memory wasn't as clear as others. She saw a half-imagined monster, and a mini twister, and an abyss with fangs.

Then Seto was leaping out the window. The Blue-Eyes seized Kisara and leapt out after him, and they plummeted down the side of the building, pursued by a horde of shadow creatures.

Seto pulled out a card and started to lift it, but stopped; he had almost tried to summon the White Dragon, but seemed to remember that he couldn't. Kisara saw the strain on his face as he switched tactics, drawing Different Dimension Dragon instead.

The four-winged dragon snaked out of nowhere and slid under him as he fell, and he landed on it. It opened another gate and leapt through, and they were in an alternate plane. They could see the normal world, but it was faded and overlapped with odd colors and warped grids.

The shadow creatures, however, started popping through shadowy vortexes, and Seto urged his dragon away, up into the sky to get above them. He summoned more monsters, but his strength was flagging; there were just too many.

Kisara's heart caught in her throat as they flew alongside him. _Does she save him? Is that what happens?_

He signaled to the dragon, and they spun, spiraling out of the other dimension just as the creatures converged on them, narrowly missing them. He shot back towards the building, and the dragon let him hop off as he returned to the briefing room.

 _Where are you going?_ Kisara wondered worriedly, glancing over her shoulder. The fiends were regrouping.

Seto tore open his briefcase and pulled out a bracer that looked like a dueldisk without card zones. But before he could sling it onto his arm, fiends erupted around him, ambushing him and seizing him.

He yelled as he lost his grip on the object, then turned and reached for his dragon, but the shadow creatures were tearing it apart. His eyes widened, and he snapped his fingers; the dragon vanished, leaving the fiends with nothing to feed on.

Except him.

Kisara gasped and looked around, but no help came; Seto didn't call any other monsters, and no one, not even her mother, was there to save him.

* * *

The next memory was dim and filled with pain. She was pretty sure they were in a dark warehouse, but that's where her surety ended; the walls were sporting wicked spines and long serpentine limbs. Fiendish eyes stared out of the gloom, and thin, venomous fangs kept coming up to bury themselves in his flesh.

He was silent, though; his work was complete. They couldn't get to her; that's why they'd come after him. She was safe, and that was all that mattered. So, though the fiends tore at his body, shrieking as they tried to rend his soul, he was unbroken – he wasn't even touched. They could tear at him all they liked, but she was safe, and that knowledge was like a shield around his core, a light in the darkness that could never be snuffed out.

There was a keening cry, and Kisara looked up. The Blue-Eyes was wailing, and she saw the misstep the instant it was made – the unraveling of… everything.

The fiends were making her watch.

Kisara could see the screen, and could see the pain and horror in her mother's eyes. She could see the moment it was too much; the moment when she started to flicker and fade.

Seto was dying, and he was her connection to the mortal realm.

There was another dragon's cry, but this one was in the memory; she turned to see Seto's eyes widen in response. One moment, her mother was fading on the screen, and the next, she was solid again – and this time, Kisara knew she had summoned herself.

She didn't stop there.

She vanished from the screen, and a moment later, the screen shattered. The White Dragon's roar thundered as if resounding across the entire world, and light began to build around Seto.

He tried to straighten. "No! Kisara, don't–"

But it was too late.

Kisara knew well the pain her mother was feeling. They'd messed with her father. _No one_ messed with her father. The wrath of the White Dragon started dissolving everything in sight, and it hadn't even arrived yet.

Demons fled in all directions. But there was no escaping the dragon's rage; white light flooded the building, and the following eruption was unlike anything Kisara had ever seen before. Even the Phantom Gods' wrath seemed to pale in comparison to this blinding white fury.

It was too much… and the world faded away.

* * *

It was raining.

Everything in sight had been razed to the ground. The entire city was in ruins.

She looked down.

Seto was lying on the ground, gazing sightlessly at the sky, unmoving.

The Blue-Eyes White Dragon crawled over, exhausted and weak, whimpering with grief and terror as she beheld her mate. Kisara watched, tears in her eyes, as her mother desperately tried to call to her father, to get him to wake up, to move, to speak… to breathe.

But his soul was shredded. There was no life left in him; even if the medics arrived in time, he would be in a coma until his body simply gave up.

 _Father…_

She dropped to her knees. _He saved her. He gave his life to make sure she was safe._

 _And… what happened…_

The Blue-Eyes looked back, and Kisara was drawn to another power source – one inside the dragon's belly.

 _That's me._ She realized in surprise.

The dragon gasped and seized up in pain. Kisara stared up at it, wondering if she was about to witness her birth, but something felt… wrong. Off.

 _She can't change back._ She blinked. _I'm about to… her power is flowing through me, and I can't hold it all._

The thoughts were occurring to her as if they were her own, but she knew she wouldn't have made those leaps on her own; it was the dragon watching beside her who passed the understanding to her.

 _And with that, she'd lose everything._

Kisara gasped and covered her mouth.

The dragon raised herself up, her neck arching, and the power flowed forward, drawn up through her throat just as she would with any attack. And with it came the infant – the mortal child, a week too soon.

She deposited it gently beside Seto, nudging it tenderly into his arms.

And once again, Kisara found herself gazing at the scene she remembered – the very moment of her birth, the nightmare that had haunted her for her entire life.

 _"I couldn't stay. And I couldn't come back."_

She looked up at the dragon beside her, then at the one crouched by her father.

 _"I… I shouldn't have. But I had to."_

The dragon started to glow, and piece by piece, it dissolved, becoming little drops of white light that sprinkled down on the body below.

And then… just like that…

She was gone.

* * *

The scene reverted, and instinctively, Kisara knew they had come back to the present.

 _"I couldn't… restore him completely."_ The dragon beside her said silently. _"And though he tried to summon me, I could not respond. I was too weak."_ She bowed her head. _"He… he thought that meant…"_

 _That it wasn't real._ Kisara finished. She bit her lip. _But… but_ I _was there! This whole block was razed to the ground… everything that happened, Mr. Moto and the others, they could've told him it was real… his own security system!_

The dragon shook her head. _"I couldn't restore him completely. I shouldn't have brought him back at all. It… isn't done, and it never goes the way you want it to."_

 _But… Mother…_ Her breath caught in her throat. _It's not…_ She trembled.

"Kisara…" Seto mumbled, stirring.

Memories flashed one after the other. Emergency responders. Asking about his wife. They say he's alone. Kisara. The baby. A hospital. Monsters. Nightmares. His wife. The Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Trying to summon her. So many times…

A fist slamming against the table. Glass shattering. He was bleeding, but he didn't care. He'd lost his mind. Dreamed up some stupid life he'd had… thought he'd actually married a _card_ …

Trashing the security system. How stupid to think holograms would be capable of keeping out intruders. Maybe the stupid ones, but not hardened criminals. Tearing out the key card. A funny, worthless little gadget.

 _Father!_ Kisara cried, reaching out. _Father, she's still here! She just couldn't come back… she's still here! I'm still here! You can still…_

Mokuba was trying to talk sense into him. Trying to get him to calm down, that she wasn't gone. But he couldn't explain why the Blue-Eyes wouldn't answer. Pain turned to bitterness and despair, and he shouted his little brother out of the room and right out of the building.

Five times.

Then the silence.

The silence, as everything else faded away. And, slowly, a recognition that life moves on.

But he couldn't, not with her in his head.

So, bit by bit, he cut her out.

And, bit by bit, the memories faded into the darkest recesses of his mind. Never fully forgotten, but no longer accessed; never referenced. Not learned from. Just… left behind.

"NO!" Kisara ran over and fell on his chest as the rain poured down all around them. "Father, please, you have to wake up! It wasn't a dream, it's all real! She just couldn't come back… please, Father! Wake up!"

Rain was her only response.


	48. Coming Back

She thought something would happen. Or that she would lie there until the end of time. But time marched on, and nothing happened… and lying there felt pointless.

Kisara sat up, gazing sadly down at her father. This whole time… he'd cut all of it out.

Things started to make sense, in a twisted sort of way. How he'd tried to reach for his Blue-Eyes White Dragon, but kept faltering. How he'd blatantly refused to believe Rafael about the Phantom Gods. Even his cruel toughness… and Kyo's frustration with his idea of parenting.

She dropped her gaze.

 _This wasn't how it was supposed to be._ She thought. _He should've lived. Mother should've come back. They shouldn't have ripped him to shreds._

 _He should have been better than this._

Her hand went to the key card around her neck, as it often did. She could remember when he'd given it to her. She'd asked what it was, and he'd said it was a little something he'd tinkered with at one point. The important part was the picture; a picture of him. He had a matching one of her. She'd been so touched.

She gazed at it, then clicked it open and gazed at the picture. It must have been taken after everything; he looked too stern, too cold, for this to have been taken while her mother was around.

She gazed at the tiny contraption.

 _But… he could have given me a normal one._ She thought. His key card didn't have this. He'd given it to her – given her the key card that unlocked the magic in his tech. The thing that let his tech summon creatures on its own.

 _If he really did think it was all a… dream…_

 _Wouldn't he have given me a normal one?_

It was a very faint hope. But there was no other hope to be had, so she latched on to it, trying to expand it.

 _He didn't stop the duel when we went off the rails. He tried to stop Rafael from taking Kyo, and only let her go when she wanted to go. He gave back the Winged Kuriboh LV10 when her parents died._

But that could've been a glimmer of kindness. He wasn't pure evil, after all.

 _He kept trying to summon Blue-Eyes._ She thought. _He fought his way through Raviel's control in order to summon it._

 _He called her name._

That part she was almost certain of. At the end of the duel, when he'd surrendered –also, not something he would have done if he hadn't thought they were in danger– he had called for Kisara. But her mother's name was Kisara, and it would have made a lot more sense if he was calling out to his dragon than to his daughter, at least at that moment.

She clasped the key card, thinking hard.

 _So the part of him that still believes isn't dead yet._

She switched it on.

Normally, it would sputter out after a few seconds. She tended to fidget with it whenever she was bored. But now that she knew what it needed, she focused, trying to push some of her power into the device.

It clicked and started whirring.

"It still works," She said, looking over at him. "Your key card. All your security features. All the magic. It works." She spoke quietly, doubting he could hear her, but talking anyway. "And Mother's still here. She couldn't come back right away; she was too weak. She gave that up so we could live. She didn't abandon you… she just needed time."

The rain continued to fall.

"And I'm only here because of her." She added. "You're so certain I'm your daughter. Who was my mother, if not the Blue-Eyes White Dragon? Who else _could_ have been my mother, with the way I look? You _knew_ that." She said. "That's why you made a Blue-Eyes card for me. I think you even knew I'd be…" She paused, glancing back at her mother, then down again. "Stronger." She said. "Because the Blue-Eyes Divine Dragon is stronger."

The silence stretched.

"So," She said, a little defiantly as the doubt tried to creep in. "You don't actually believe it's a lie. You think it's real. It's just hard to face. But it doesn't have to be." She picked up his hand and clutched it in hers. "Because Mother is still alive, and you can summon her again. You _have_ been summoning her. You just ignore it… and you don't have to, not anymore."

She waited.

 _Come on, Father…_

His fingers twitched.

Her heart leapt into her throat, and she gasped. "Father?" She called, leaning over him.

He stirred, blinking slowly, then more rapidly to clear the rain from his eyes. He saw her and stopped, and in his face she saw entire decades fall away as he stared at her.

Then they all came back when he realized she was his daughter and not his wife. He seemed even more aged than normal; worn out and exhausted.

"Father, it's okay," She said quickly. "She's still here. She didn't die. It wasn't a dream."

He frowned at her. "What are you talking about?" He queried tiredly.

She looked up, and the Blue-Eyes White Dragon came over slowly, letting out a soft cry of remorse and hope.

He stared at it.

Then looked back at her.

"It's Mother." She said quietly. "She's back."

He looked away. "So, I haven't woken up yet. Great."

She flinched, and she could sense her mother's pain. She bristled. "Well, duh! Your soul was ripped to shreds by Raviel, and I'm trying to fix you! But in order for you to come back, you can't keep pretending it's all a hocus-pocus mind trick! This is Mother! Actually, really, honest-to-God Mother! She's back! And I _know_ you don't believe it's a mind trick, or you would never have called her name when Raviel attacked you!"

He looked back at her. Then over at the Blue-Eyes.

Then he sat up. "Pathetic." He said quietly.

Kisara started, then clenched her fist.

He looked away. "I failed you, and I can't stop calling for you."

She stopped, her eyes widening.

His fingers tightened, and he got to his feet. "I should've burned those cards the moment I got back."

Kisara started to rise, but her mother got there first. Human again, she threw herself into Seto's embrace, clutching him tight.

"You should have held out a little longer." She whispered. "I was so close to having the strength to return."

He looked down at her, and whatever bitter despair had gripped him, it couldn't overtake his longing. His arms slid around her, and for a moment, he battled himself. Then he held her close, laying his head against hers.

"Kisara…" He breathed, his voice filled with love and pain.

"I can't come back." She said softly. "Not like before."

There was silence.

"But I still love you, and I will still watch over you." She added.

He held her tighter. "If I wasn't so obsessed, I'd say something about that." He whispered.

Their daughter got to her feet.

They both looked over at her, and Kisara saw yet another change in her father. He didn't have the youthfulness, but he didn't seem quite so cold and hard. More like… tired.

"Thank you, Kisara," Her mother said, coming over to her and hugging her. "I'm glad I got to meet you."

"Are you leaving?" She asked in sudden alarm.

"Not… sort of," She said evasively. "I can't stay in human form for much longer. But I'll still be here." She kissed her daughter's cheek and hugged her again. "I love you."

"I love you too." She mumbled, tears in her eyes.

Her mother stepped back, then turned back to Seto and pulled him down into a kiss. As she started to pull out, though, he drew her back, his arms wrapping around her again, and for a few moments, they just stood there.

But then she started to change back, and soon, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon stood over them, her eyes shimmering with emotion.

The city started to rebuild, and Seto turned to his daughter.

"We should go." He said quietly, holding out his hand.

She blinked, then took it, and they interlaced their fingers as the world fell away.


	49. Awakening

_The passages seemed to stretch on forever. Kyo wandered around for a while, opening doors and climbing stairs, but all her thoughts seemed to run themselves around in circles. Why was she here? Why did she come back? What happened between her dad and the Pharaoh? Why did he abandon Mahad? How could they stop the Phantom? Would they ever succeed? Would Kisara ever forgive her?_

 _She sighed and leaned against a wall. The questions bounced around in her head endlessly, but one in particular stuck in her mind. She had half-answers and guesses for most of them, but the one answer she didn't have seemed to be part of the foundation; as if everything else depended on the answer._

 _Why did the Pharaoh reincarnate as me?_

 _She looked over at the door next to her, which hadn't been there a moment ago. She pushed off the wall and opened it, stepping through._

 _She was standing by a pool built of sandstone and surrounded by rushes. The doors and passages had vanished, leaving her free to gaze up at a brilliant night sky. She looked back at the pool and stepped up to it, gazing down at the water._

 _The Pharaoh was gazing back._

 _"Why?" She asked. "Why did you become me?"_

 _His mouth moved with words, but she couldn't hear anything, and the water was too disturbed for her to read his lips. She knelt, reaching down, but as she touched the surface, the pharaoh's image vanished._

* * *

Her eyes flew open.

It was dark. The rain had stopped, and all was quiet. But the world seemed oddly hushed, as if sound had been muffled.

Mahad was stirring behind her. She almost looked, but something attracted her attention to the balcony.

Mahad got up silently, moving as if trying not to disturb her. He made his way swiftly to the balcony, his armor returning, and stepped out, the doors shutting quietly behind him.

She heard soft voices on the other side. _Must be Rafael or Eatos,_ She thought. Joey didn't exactly strike her as the quiet type, and Sirius certainly wasn't. Dartz was still out of commission, unless he'd miraculously recovered. And Kisara and Seto…

 _It's not them, I would've recognized their voices instantly._ She thought, slipping out of bed and pulling her jacket on. She went to the door and opened it.

"…not disturb her." Mahad was saying in a firm tone to a transparent old man.

 _"Looks like she's up anyway."_ The man said in a reedy voice. He grinned and waved at her. _"Hello, missy."_

She raised her eyebrows. "Hello." She said.

"I apologize for the disturbance, Milady." Mahad said quietly. "I did not mean to wake you."

"Wasn't your fault. I had a dream." She shrugged. "Who's this?"

"A spirit, sent by Rafael." Mahad explained.

 _"The Kaibas are awake."_ The spirit said, bowing. _"He asked that I inform you, saying you would wish to know."_

"Thank you." Kyo inclined her head. "Tell them I'll be up in a minute."

Mahad frowned slightly.

 _"I will pass the message along."_ He smiled and departed.

Kyo looked up at Mahad. "You don't think I should?"

"That is up to you, Lady Kyo." He said evasively.

She waited.

"You should be resting." He said at last. "There will be plenty of time to meet with them on the morrow."

She got a funny feeling that wasn't precisely the answer, though it was enough a part of it that he wasn't quite lying either. She gave him a sideways look, then went back in to grab her boots. "I want to see how they're doing." She said as she pulled one on. "Once I know that, I can go back to sleep. But it'll keep me up if I know they're awake and I don't know if they're okay."

She came back out in time to see him let out a faint huff. He scooped her up, and they flew up to the temple.

* * *

"Well I still don't trust him."

"That doesn't exactly come as a shock."

"Father, he _did_ save us…"

"He gave Kyo that Orichalcos card. That's not 'saving' anyone."

"Kyo!"

The three of them turned as Mahad landed, depositing Kyo gently to the floor.

"Hey Kisara. I'm glad to see you're okay." She said, but suddenly she couldn't move. She looked up at Seto a little shyly. "And you too, Mr. Kaiba," She mumbled.

"Hmph." He grunted. "So, you think I'm a sick, twisted, sadistic excuse for a stepfather?"

She blanched, but he continued before she had to speak.

"Good thing you never met Gozoboro Kaiba. _That_ man was–" He stopped, staring at her in shock.

Kisara looked up, startled. "Father?"

Seto looked like he was staring at a ghost.

Kyo shifted. "…Mr. Kaiba?" She ventured.

"Pharaoh." He breathed, stunned. Then he frowned. "No. Not…" His confusion deepened. "You _are_ the Pharaoh. But how? What are you…"

"Reincarnation." Rafael said. "Kinda like you, actually. Only not as thick-headed."

Seto ignored him. A number of emotions were crossing his face; much like how Mahad had reacted when he realized she was the Pharaoh. She could see a lot more this time, though; confusion, alarm, hope, comprehension, even grief.

It settled on something close to anger.

"Why?" He growled, trembling slightly.

She shifted. "I don't know." She said honestly. "I don't remember anything about the Pharaoh." She touched the scarab around her neck. "The only thing I remember is the Spirit Seal of Stone and Gold."

"Spirit Seal of… you didn't–" His face darkened with fury. "What the hell were you thinking, Pharaoh?! Why? Was it because of the Phantom – did you sense it coming? Did Yugi know? He didn't, did he?"

Kyo stiffened. "I–"

"And you!" Seto rounded on Mahad. "Where the hell were you? You're supposed to protect the Pharaoh!"

Mahad bristled. "Believe me, I'm doing everything in my power to protect her."

"Father, hang on," Kisara said quietly, catching his arm. "It's the only thing that's keeping the Phantom in check, and the Phantom's too strong for any of us to take on!"

"We'll see about that." Seto turned. "Where is this Phantom now?"

"Um, actually, we don't know." She said. "The Phantom is possessing Jesse. Jesse Anderson, remember? He uses Crystal Beasts, and he has a dueldisk. You can track him, right?"

"If he has a dueldisk, there's nowhere on Earth he can hide." Seto said, marching away. "Blue-Eyes!"

The White Dragon burst into view beside him, and let out a joyful cry.

"We have a mess to clean up." He told it, and it lowered itself so he could hop on. He looked back. "You stay here. This won't take long."

"Mr. Kaiba!" Kyo exclaimed, startled.

"Save it. We're gonna have a nice long chat when I get back." He said, and the dragon powered out of the temple and off into the night sky.

Kyo looked over at Kisara, who looked worried. Kyo raised an eyebrow. "Coming?"

She blinked, then relaxed and nodded. "Right."

"Be careful, you two." Rafael said. "He might believe in it now, but that doesn't make him any easier to work with."

Kisara chuckled ruefully. "We know a thing or two about that." She said wryly as the Divine Dragon appeared beside her. "We're his daughters."

* * *

They alighted on the roof of KaibaCorp just as dawn was beginning to break. The first faint beams lit the clouds in the distance, though the lights of the city below were still brighter.

"I told you to stay put." Seto said, his arms folded as he greeted them.

"Jesse's our friend." Kyo said. "We want to help get him back. And besides, because of the seal, I'm the one who has to defeat the Phantom to make it leave for good."

His eyes narrowed. "Which was reckless of you." He admonished.

"Well, it was that or get swallowed whole by Uria." Kyo returned wryly.

"Hmph." He grunted. He studied her for a moment. "So, you've lost all your memories again. Or are you actually a different person?"

"Different person… is my understanding anyway." She replied, glancing up at Mahad, then back. "I only remembered the Spirit Seal of Stone and Gold because like I said, I was about to be swallowed by Uria."

"Was Mahad there?" Seto queried, glancing at him.

"Yes, but Rafael and Eatos were having trouble with the Seal of Orichalcos. I asked him to help them." Kyo said a little defensively.

He gazed at her for a moment, then glanced back at Mahad. "Smooth. You even got her to explain away your failures for you." He said tauntingly.

Mahad started, then bristled furiously.

"Mr. Kaiba!" Kyo exclaimed at the same moment, throwing out a hand to catch Mahad before he could do anything rash.

"Excuses are cheap, and failure is unacceptable." Seto growled back. "If you can't protect my daughter, you're going to find yourself out of a job."

"Isn't that my decision?" Kyo grumbled, exasperated.

"You're not her father." Mahad snapped.

"I'm her legal guardian, you dolt, and I won't tolerate anything less than perfection." Seto retorted, his eyes narrowing. "Because I can replace you."

"He's the strongest card in my deck, and _I'm_ not replacing him." Kyo said angrily.

"You do still have Envoy of the Beginning in your deck, don't you?" Seto challenged, and she stopped. "In a head-to-head, Black Luster Soldier is stronger." He looked back at Mahad. "So. I can replace you."

Mahad shook his head. "That creature is her ka. She would risk too much summoning it."

"Her ka?" Seto sneered. "So what you're telling me is that she can protect _herself_ a lot better than you can? Is there even a _point_ to you?"

"That's enough, Kaiba!" Kyo snapped, taking a step sideways to get a little more between him and Mahad. "Mahad has been an exemplary guardian, and no one could have been a better protector." She threw out an arm. "So stop insulting him!"

There was a pause, and a gust of wind blew past.

Seto snorted. "If you insist." He said, though the inflection was less of an apology and more of an 'I'm not going to stop you if you want to do something stupid'. He turned and headed for the door. "Come on. I've got something for you."

Kyo and Kisara exchanged puzzled looks. Kisara hurried after her father, but Kyo glanced up at Mahad, who was looking irritable.

 _Mahad?_ She queried silently.

He shook his head, not responding.

She hesitated, then followed the other two down, and he came along behind.

* * *

Mahad got more than a few sideways looks. It might have been early morning, but KaibaCorp ran around the clock, so there were plenty of people on duty to gawk at the gold-clad magician.

He, in turn, showed some interest in the screens and monitors, all displaying information or running programs of alien intent. Kyo noticed his interest and smiled. _Something caught your eye?_ She asked.

 _"I spent my entire life studying magic, as it was the strongest force I knew of."_ Mahad replied. _"I know little of this mechanized form, though it seems it has given the entire world access to a kind of magic of its own. It is a power in its own right."_ He mused. _"I would appreciate the time to learn more once things have settled down, if I may, Milady."_

She grinned. _Of course! We can start with the library, they'll have books to give you a basic understanding of how it works–_

"Kyo!" Kisara hissed, and they both looked up to see Seto getting into an elevator down the hall.

They hurried to catch up.

* * *

"So, uh," Kyo said a little awkwardly as the elevator headed down. "What made you change your mind, Mr. Kaiba?"

Seto gave her a sideways look.

"About magic." Kyo elaborated quickly, glancing at Kisara and back.

He grunted and looked away. "Getting your soul ripped to shreds tends to do that to you." He said dryly.

Kyo frowned. "Yeah, but didn't Rafael and Lord Dartz say something about you losing your soul once?"

He didn't answer.

She gave Kisara a curious look, but paused and dropped her gaze.

"My mother's the Blue-Eyes White Dragon," Kisara said very quietly.

Kyo started and looked up again.

Kisara looked serious.

"Wait, but– how–" Kyo sputtered as a rather alarming image crossed her mind.

"She has a human form." Kisara said quickly, perhaps guessing what Kyo was thinking. "She's called Kisara too, and we look almost identical."

She thought about that.

"But that was a _lot_ longer ago than just now." Kyo frowned and turned back to Seto. "Did you know she was the Blue-Eyes?"

Seto threw her a 'duh' look.

"So what happened?" Kyo pressed. "When and why did you start pretending this… wasn't real?"

The elevator binged and opened, and Seto strode through the doors and down a dim passage.

"I never truly did." He said as they walked along. "If I had, I would've scrapped these long ago." He went to a keypad and typed in a code, and a large set of doors started to open.

"Scrapped what?" Kisara asked, thinking of the security system he'd built.

"Something we'll need." Seto said, but didn't elaborate.

They glanced at each other.

He walked inside, and they followed him in. Inside, there was a bank of smaller vaults, and Seto typed a code into one towards the left. The vault opened and slid out, and Kisara's eyes widened as she recognized the object.

It was the device Seto had tried to grab when he'd been ambushed by the fiends. It looked like a dueldisk, but without the card zones; it was just the bracer that wrapped around the forearm, looking extremely advanced despite the fact that the memory she'd seen it in was fifteen years ago.

"They're a bit rustic," Seto said as he pulled it out, tossing it to Kisara. "But they're an advanced form of dueldisk utilizing a crystal network to imbue the Solid Vision technology with something a little more robust." He opened up another vault and passed that one to Kyo.

"These are enchanted." Mahad noted as he studied it.

"Enchanted?" Kyo asked.

"Artifacts, like my Millennium Ring." He said briefly. "How did you manage to enchant these with technology?"

"Back then I still had my head in the game." Seto said dryly. "There's virtually no limit to what technology can achieve. You just have to know how to use it." He slid one onto his own wrist. "It's keyed to recognize brain waves and interpret them." He activated it. "So, whatever you imagine becomes reality." He spread out his arm, and a circular pad appeared under his feet, lifting him into the air.

They all stared up at him in wonder.

"The crystal network is the key difference between these and regular dueldisks. As I said earlier, it gives the Solid Vision technology a bit of a boost. The holograms aren't holograms anymore, not with this." He hopped down. "Their primary function, though, is managing and maintaining a dueling deck." He lifted his hand to the deck slot, and a translucent card appeared. He pulled it out and lifted the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. "Just imagine the cards you want in your deck, and the dueldisk will record and maintain it for you, allowing you to duel anywhere at any time, even if you don't have your physical deck with you."

Kyo's eyes widened as she looked down at her deck. "It lets us pick any cards we want?" She asked, startled.

"These are the prototypes, so yes." Seto said knowingly. "The commercial ones let you pick cards you've unlocked, whether by recording the physical copy or purchasing them through the crystal network." He folded his arms. "This technology takes an incredible amount of skill to wield effectively, and can very easily backfire if not used correctly. So proceed at your own risk."

They both nodded.

"Of course."

"We'll be careful, Father." Kisara promised.

Seto inclined his head. "Then let's go hunt this Phantom down and make it wish it never even heard of Earth."


	50. On the Hunt

Images and displays flicked across Kyo's vision as she swiped through the options, tutorials, and various functions of the disk. Mahad hovered over her shoulder, watching with interest and occasionally commenting on some feature he recognized.

It was fascinating to see the blend Seto had managed between technology and magic, and it was fun seeing Mahad's enthusiasm as he analyzed the craftsmanship. She didn't understand half the things Mahad said, but she was pleased that he seemed to understand technology better than she would have expected for someone out of the ancient past.

 _I wonder what the Pharaoh would have thought of this._ She mused as she flipped through the various support cards for spellcasters, especially those that involved spell counters. _There's so much out there… Pitch Black Power Stone, Tower of Babel, Magical Plant Mandragola, Magical Marionette…_

She paused. _Mr. Kaiba said I focused more on spellcasters than he did, though._ She switched around, dispensing with her deck-building, and brought up a database of famous duelists' decks.

Mahad fell silent beside her.

She pulled up Yugi's profile and scrolled past the Level-Ups in search of the one he'd had during the KaibaCorp Grand Championship. That had been the one Seto had been talking about…

There was another deck, one after the championship, called 'Ritual Battle'. She frowned and tapped on it.

Dark Magician was on that list. And so were the Egyptian God cards. She looked through the deck and saw that it was focused on summoning the Egyptian Gods; most of the cards he'd selected were meant to swarm the field or stall for time.

 _Summoning all three Egyptian Gods has got to be tough._ She thought, looking through the list. She was a little disappointed, though, that there didn't seem to be as much focus on the Dark Magician.

 _I mean, I understand that the Egyptian Gods are powerful, but…_ She backed out and scrolled back through. The previous deck was called 'Legendary Dragons', and that one had a very interesting card called 'The Eye of Timaeus' – which could merge with Dark Magician monsters.

She opened up the Timaeus card, and saw that it was a limited-time exclusive; there weren't any Timaeus cards on record. _Does that mean there aren't any anymore? What happened to the one he had?_

She sincerely hoped he hadn't abandoned it, too.

 _"Timaeus was a knight of Atlantis."_ Mahad said, and she looked up. _"He aided the Pharaoh in battling against the power of the Orichalcos. Once his mission was complete, he returned to the Kingdom of the Beasts."_

 _Huh._ Kyo mused. _Would be nice if he'd helped us with the Phantom. We can use all the allies we can get._

Mahad's expression became grim. _"He and the other knights, Critias and Hermos, are sworn against the Orichalcos. I doubt they would have allied with Dartz and the Orichalcos under any circumstances."_

Kyo smiled ruefully. _I don't blame them. But the Phantom is threatening to destroy our world._

He shrugged.

She looked back at the card, then flipped back to the deck. This had remnants of the swarming monsters, but the Egyptian Gods were absent. _Why doesn't he have them? Was this the deck he used to fight Lord Dartz?_

 _"Yes, but the cards were stolen to fuel the Leviathan's rebirth."_ Mahad explained.

 _Ah._

"What are you looking at, Kyo?" Kisara asked, coming over curiously.

"My dad's decks." She said, pointing at Timaeus. "This card was an exclusive card – a dragon knight who fought beside him while he was fighting Lord Dartz and the Orichalcos. Er, back when he was evil."

Kisara blinked and peered curiously at it. "Looks like it's a merging monster? Why doesn't it have an effect written on it?"

"Special card." Kyo shrugged. "The effects are here, too, at least what the crystal network's been able to extrapolate based on how it was used."

Kisara nodded. "These are really cool, aren't they?" She said, glancing down at hers.

"Yeah. Your dad's amazing." Kyo nodded back. "Mahad and I have been talking about the magical side of it and how that all works, and it's pretty impressive."

Kisara smiled. "I think we should call them crystaldisks. You know, because they use the crystal network."

"Crystaldisks, huh?" Kyo mused. "That's got a nice ring to it."

Kisara beamed.

Kyo hesitated. "I'm sorry," She said before she could take it back. "About the bad luck thing." She added when Kisara blinked. "I didn't know what I was doing. It was selfish and cowardly, and in the end, it only hurt both of us."

Kisara looked down, then away.

Kyo twitched, then dropped her gaze. "I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt. But I was jealous. You were… all I had."

She looked back.

"And the more I…" Kyo sighed. "The more I made us bad luck, the quieter you got. The more timid and shy. I didn't realize what I was doing." She glanced up. "Not until we met Jesse, anyway."

Kisara blinked, taken aback. "What does he have to do with it?" She asked.

Kyo smiled ruefully. "You don't see it, but you're a lot more confident now." She said. "Ever since we met him… or at least, someone who didn't know hanging out with either of us was bad luck."

Her eyes widened in surprise.

Kyo looked away, her expression dimming again. "I didn't want to be alone."

"Well, you're not alone." Kisara said, putting her hand on Kyo's. "And that's never going to change."

Kyo looked up, her eyes misting a little. "Thank you." She said softly, and they hugged briefly.

"So this dragon," Kisara queried. "You said it showed up to fight the Leviathan?"

"Yeah. I thought it'd be nice if they helped us against the Phantom, but Mahad said they're sworn against the Orichalcos. Since Lord Dartz has been the main one fighting the Phantom, that's probably why they haven't shown up."

Kisara's face fell. Then she blinked. "'They'? Are there others?"

"Cr… uh," Kyo looked up.

"Critias and Hermos." Mahad said. "Critias fought alongside Seto, and Hermos beside Joseph."

"Critias?" Kisara instantly switched hers on and went to look it up.

Kyo looked back at her disk and went back to scrolling through her father's decks. Scrolling back through, she found the Battle City Championship; that was much like the Ritual Battle deck, focusing on the Egyptian Gods. Though it seemed focused on Slifer in particular.

Battle City, however, had no Egyptian Gods. There, she finally got to see a few more support cards for the Dark Magician. She slid through the list and saw a couple she didn't have, making a mental note, but most of them were ones she'd already added to her deck.

 _Heh._ She swiped back around to her deck builder. _Now then…_

"Ooo, did you see Critias?" Kisara asked. "He can merge with traps, like Mirror Force and Tyrant Wing."

Kyo raised her eyebrows. "That sounds like a dangerous combo."

Kisara grinned. She glanced at Kyo's display and came over again. "Are you building a new deck?"

She nodded. "I have a pretty strong deck, but I don't have as many support cards for the Dark Magician as I want." She pulled a card around. "Check these out! Dark Magic Veil, Dark Burning Magic and Magician Navigation–"

"Your deck better be ready to go." Seto said suddenly, making them all jump. "We're moving out."

"Did you find Jesse?" Kisara asked hopefully.

"Yes." Seto said as he headed for the door. "He's at Kaibaland."

* * *

The park had just opened when they arrived. Kids were flooding in, running around and challenging each other to duels; Kyo had to guess that meant it was Saturday, and school was out. Things had been moving so rapidly that she'd lost track somewhere along the way.

"I'm keeping a link with KaibaCorp's system." Seto said as he strode off down the streets. "I'll know where he is, wherever he goes."

They followed.

Here, Mahad was just as popular, albeit for more happy reasons; they thought he was dressed up like a Duel Monster, and several tried to stop him to ask which Duel Monster he was dressed up as, and a particularly enthusiastic group asked if he'd be willing to take a picture with them.

"Actually, we're very late," Kyo said apologetically to them as she grabbed Mahad's arm. "We'll be around later, but we really have to go!"

Mahad gave her an extremely grateful look. "Thank you, Milady." He said in an undertone as they made their escape.

She smiled. "Did you see how disappointed they were? You're a star!"

He gave her a shy look. "If I may be so bold, Milady, there is only one I perform for."

Caught off guard, she blushed, and almost forgot to look where she was going. Seto and Kisara were several paces ahead.

"Forgive me," Mahad apologized, abruptly ashamed. "I should not have been so familiar. It is not my place."

"W-well I…" She stammered. She hadn't been expecting him to flirt, and 'I don't mind' seemed like a lame comeback.

"Damn. He's on to us." Seto growled, taking a sharp turn.

"Kyo!" Kisara called back, waving as they headed down an alley back towards the tram station, and she hurried to catch up.

Seto was on first and already shoving his way up the cars. Kisara glanced back as she jumped in, waving at them to move faster.

Kyo, though, had an idea. "Mahad, let's see if we can help Mr. Kaiba cut him off." She said, pointing as she turned to run up the train.

He scooped her up and took off, causing quite a bit of alarm from people on the platform. He ignored them and flew up over the tram to land on the first car. Kyo ran to the hatch and opened it, hurrying down the steps, and started making her way through the crowded tram.

"Lady Kyo, wait–"

She glanced back, but felt something brush her shoulder – then it grabbed at her neck, and quite suddenly, she wasn't on the tram anymore.


	51. Out of Control

Kisara started and watched them go as they flew ahead. _They're going to cut him off._ She realized, nodding in approval and turning to hurry after her father. _If we can trap him, we can take him somewhere to duel where he can't hurt anyone…_

There was a sudden wave of golden energy, and she heard Mahad's shout of fury and alarm very clearly in her head. It reminded her so much of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon's wrath when her father had been tortured that she gasped and ran forward. _Blue-Eyes!_ She called. "KYO!" She screamed, but she couldn't move quickly here.

She heard the dragon's roar and turned, searching for the stairs. She found them and ran up, slamming into the hatch as she threw it open, then stopped and stared.

The air ahead of her was shimmering and rippling with golden energy. Arcane symbols danced through the wind, drawn together and twisted around into magical circles and mystic patterns.

 _He's doing something big._ "MAHAD!" She shouted, climbing the rest of the way out and running to the edge of the tram car as it started to move. _Why are they moving?!_

 _Duel Monsters._ She thought. _Duh. They don't care about this, they think it's just some kind of hologram…_ "Blue-Eyes!" She turned, reaching up, and the dragon swooped down to catch her. She climbed onto its back, and she saw Seto emerging from another hatch as they passed the next tram car.

"Kisara!" He called up, but she couldn't stop: if Mahad lashed out the way her mother had, then a lot of people would die, and she knew Kyo wouldn't want that.

"Mahad!" She shouted.

He froze, but his attention wasn't on her. She looked down and saw that the roof of the tram they'd been on was either transparent or missing entirely. And down in the crowd, Jesse could be seen, holding a scarab in one hand and Kyo in the other.

"Kyo!" She gasped. "Let her go!" She shouted, urging the Blue-Eyes closer.

But the scarab wasn't the only thing Jesse was holding. He was holding an hourglass, too. The one Kyo had started wearing at about the same time, although Kisara could tell she didn't know its true significance.

Jesse started to shift his grip as if to squeeze it, and she felt another mental shout. Mahad made a swift grabbing motion, and the hourglass shattered.

Another wave of gold energy emitted, this time from the hourglass. All the sigils lit up, and Mahad spun, brandishing his staff with a roar.

His spell activated, and the world seemed to slow down. Kisara blinked in astonishment as colors seemed oddly red-shifted, and the sky seemed almost dark, despite the fact that the sun was shining right on them.

Then things started moving backwards, and she felt a bizarre sensation as if she was being rubbed wrong. She and Blue-Eyes drifted backwards across the train, and she saw Seto pulling backwards down into the hatch. Then she was deposited on the tram, and her body ran backwards down into the cab and into the crowd of people.

Then she was released, and felt another mental cry.

* * *

"Lady Kyo, wait–"

Kyo glanced back, but felt something brush her shoulder – then Mahad was there, pulling her away from what she quickly registered was the Phantom, trying to reach for her neck.

 _What the heck–_

Mahad made it to the stairs, but there he collapsed, shaking. Kyo fell out of his grip and scrambled to her feet, turning to see Jesse advancing on them, his eyes lit with chaotic delight.

The other people on the tram were watching in surprise and interest, completely unaware of what had just happened. Kyo didn't really understand it all herself, but she knew something bad had happened; Mahad looked as if he'd lost all his strength very suddenly.

Her hand flew to her chest, but stopped in surprise. "Mahad, the hourglass–"

"It's gone." He said shortly, shaking his head as he pulled himself up, leaning heavily on his staff. "Run, Milady–" He managed before slumping against the wall, dazed.

Her heart leapt to her throat, and she felt her body seize up. "No." She said firmly, taking a couple steps forward to stand in front of him. "Not without you."

"Lady Kyo!" He clutched her wrist, and she was surprised by the fear she saw in his eyes.

Jesse was getting closer.

The Phantom shouldn't have been able to do anything, not with the seal so tight. But obviously it had, and Mahad was exhausted. It was up to her.

She turned.

"Kyo–!" Mahad tried to pull her back, but she'd already lifted her free arm to loosen the seal. All she needed was a drop; just enough to summon some help.

"Magician's Valkyria!" She called, and the magician appeared between them.

At the same moment, there was a thin burst of chaotic energy, and Jesse turned abruptly demonic. The onlookers yelled and scrambled back in alarm, and Kyo gritted her teeth. Releasing even a drop of energy meant that the Phantom could access some of its own, and with all three pieces back in one deck, that meant a heck of a lot more than before.

 _Shit._

She sent her plan mentally to her magician, and the Valkyria scooped them up with a flick of her staff, flying up the stairs backwards and out onto the roof of the tram. They landed, and the Valkyria spun around to grab Mahad, pulling his arm across her shoulders so she could support him.

Kyo turned and saw Kisara –as she'd hoped– riding the Divine Dragon towards them. She turned and gestured for the Valkyria to take off, then ran to the edge of the tram. "Kisara!" She called, reaching out.

"Lady Kyo!" Mahad called behind her, and she looked back to see a demon crawling out of the compartment below – now bearing zero resemblance to Jesse.

She spun back to the dragon, and Kisara swept low, reaching out and catching her. The dragon's power scooped her up, and they shot skyward. She climbed up behind her sister and looked down at the demon below.

"What happened?" Kisara asked. "Mahad exploded, then everything seemed to go backwards–"

"Mahad exploded?" Kyo frowned. "Did I miss something?" She looked down. "All I know is we were trying to find Jesse, then Mahad grabbed me and collapsed. I don't have his hourglass anymore, and I had to loosen the seal to summon Valkyria to protect us. Now Jesse's a demon, and the Phantom–"

"Wait, that's _Jesse_?" Kisara gasped in alarm.

"Yeah." Kyo sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have loosened the seal, but it was the only thing I could think of. I don't know what happened, but Mahad's exhausted; he can't fight like this."

"You must not have seen it." Kisara realized.

"Seen what?" Kyo asked, surprised.

"Kisara! Kyo!" Seto called up. "Are you all right?"

The demon snarled, and a bolt of chaos shot in his direction. He was ready for it this time, though, and the Blue-Eyes White Dragon burst onto the scene, catching the blow on her wings before sweeping Seto up onto her back.

"Mahad exploded, like I said." Kisara said. "Something must've happened to you, because he sounded really upset–"

Kyo started and looked over at Mahad and her Valkyria; they were climbing higher, pulling further out of reach. Mahad looked distraught, but he was still too weak to do anything.

The demon shot another bolt, and they darted around it.

"There was gold energy everywhere. It was like when my mother tried to save Father, and I was scared he'd do the same thing. There are too many people here! But I think he turned time back instead." Kisara explained.

Kyo frowned. "What are you…" She started, pretty sure she'd missed several references there. "You know what, let's just focus on the Phantom first." She added, turning and looking back down. "I can't fight; I have to keep the seal closed. I shouldn't have even opened it as much as I did. Mahad's out of it. It's up to you and your father." She smiled. "Luckily, I can't think of two people better equipped to handle this."

Kisara blinked then grinned. "Right. Come on!" She turned to the Divine Dragon, and it roared a challenge as it dived, charging up an attack.

"Get it off the tram!" Kyo called over the rush of wind.

Kisara didn't answer, but she sensed a shift in the dragon's flight pattern. Instead of firing its attack, the dragon swept past, seizing the demon in its claws as it did.

"Kisara!" Seto called from across the way. The Blue-Eyes turned, flicking her tail, and the Divine Dragon followed.

 _The crystaldisk!_ Kyo thought, immediately kicking herself. _I should have used that!_ She reached for the crystaldisk, but no cards came.

 _I'm supposed to focus on the card I want._ She thought, frowning. _Like summoning, only I'm letting the crystaldisk do the summoning…_

 _So why isn't it working?_ Her frown deepened. _Dark Magician Girl!_

But there was no response, and she had to grab onto Kisara as they banked suddenly to avoid falling off.

"Sorry!" Kisara called back.

"It's all right," Kyo returned. "I just need to pay attention." She looked over her shoulder at Mahad and the Valkyria, coming along behind.

She felt a pulse of chaos and saw a bolt head back towards them. She froze, panicking, but forced herself not to open the seal; she couldn't afford to give the Phantom any more freedom.

But at what cost?

Luckily, the Valkyria dodged. A golden sphere flickered around them before winking out again.

 _Is that because he's too tired, or because he realized they weren't going to get hit?_ Kyo wondered worriedly. _Valkyria, fall back! Give yourselves more room–_

 _"I cannot, Mistress. I am as far from you as I can be as it is."_ She replied faintly.

 _Then can you fly above Kisara? At least put one of the dragons between you and the Phantom?_ Kyo suggested.

The Valkyria nodded and flew up, putting on a burst of speed.

"Kisara, can you slow down a sec?" Kyo added to her sister. "Just a little, so Valkyria can get above you. The Phantom's trying to attack them."

Kisara nodded, and the Divine Dragon slowed, swooping down and up again, and the Valkyria pulled overhead.

"So," Kyo turned back to Kisara. "Mahad turned time back? How could you see it and I couldn't? Maybe because the seal's so tight?"

"I think something happened to you." Kisara said, looking back. "Like I said, Mahad sounded really upset. By the time I got there, he was halfway through casting this massive spell – there were symbols all over the sky. Jesse had the scarab and the hourglass, and you looked like you were out cold."

Kyo blinked, and something clicked. "He took my scarab. I can't possess my body without the scarab." _So that's why I was in that place all of a sudden. The place with doors and passages and stairs leading nowhere._

"Right." Kisara nodded. "Jesse started to do something with the hourglass, and Mahad made it break. That's when time started going backwards."

Kyo thought about that. _That must be why Mahad is wiped out. It can't be easy making time go backwards. But what about the hourglass?_ She looked up and found herself meeting his worried lavender eyes. _He said it was the way he contained his power… so he wouldn't turn dark-side. Will he be okay without it?_

 _Will we be…_

Kisara yelped, and the Divine Dragon flinched, snarling in pain. Kyo looked down to see darkness trying to claw its way up the white scales, and started in alarm. _Damn! I should never have loosened the seal!_

She hesitated, then tried reaching for her dueldisk again. _Please, Dark Magician Girl! We need your help!_

This time, the card started to form, but it only did slowly, as if it was meeting heavy resistance. Then, suddenly, the Divine Dragon jolted, and another bolt of chaos shot directly up… and Kyo lost her grip.

"Kisa–" She started, trying to reach.

Kisara turned, reaching back for her. "Kyo!"

"Lady Kyo!" Mahad shouted, and she saw Valkyria diving towards her as the Divine Dragon banked, turning sharply. But as it turned inward, the Phantom got a clear shot at the magicians.

Kyo gasped in pain, clutching her chest as her Valkyria took the brunt of the blow. The sorceress vanished, and Mahad fell, his face a mask of horror.

 _I can't!_ Kyo thought as she looked up at them. _They aren't going to make it, and if I…_

 _There's a way out of this._

She seized the scarab. "Mahad!" She shouted, drawing her arm back and hurling it with all her might… then closed her eyes as the gold trinket left her fingers.


	52. Emergence of the Titans

Kisara could see it coming. They wouldn't be fast enough. She could hear her parents beside them, also racing to try to catch her sister, but it would be too late; the ground was too close. The drop had been just far enough to be…

She howled as the body hit the ground, and the Divine Dragon's roar resounded in her ears and throughout the park. She could hear Mahad nearby, but there was a pounding in her head. Her vision was doubled, as if she was seeing through her dragon's eyes.

She pulled up, snarling in fury, and her vision as a human ceased. Her claws dug into the demon in her grip, and she roared. She'd had enough! Jesse she cared about, Seto she loved, but Kyo was her _sister_.

There was a pulse of white light, and she felt her body thinning; Her wings shifted higher up her shoulders and split into a set of five wings around a ring. Her cry echoed across the park, and she threw the demon at the ground in fury.

The impact left a crater, and she swept around, snarling as she landed, ready to tear it to shreds.

A gold-clad magician got in the way, and she barked her outrage; she would not give him a second chance if he wouldn't move. But he stayed where he was, and another dragon landed nearby, joining him.

She charged up a blast inside the ring, her eyes blazing with divine wrath.

"Kisara!" Seto snapped.

She stopped, but her lip curled to bare her fangs in displeasure.

The magician was holding something. She could sense magic, and as she started paying attention, she noticed a spirit floating beside him.

Her eyes widened. _Kyo._ She realized, and felt a surge of relief and sorrow.

The demon stirred, and she snarled, snaking around him fast as lightning. She seized the demon in a large claw, but didn't follow through on her desire to crush it. Jesse was still in there, somewhere, and they needed to get him out.

"Kisara, wait!" Seto called up, running over, but she wasn't going to hurt the demon. Not yet, anyway.

The Blue-Eyes nearby growled softly; she knew what was going on. But how could they get Jesse out?

 _The Rainbow Dragon._ She thought. She'd grabbed the card after Jesse had thrown it away, but it was in her jacket, or had been, prior to her becoming… whatever she was now.

She tilted her head. Perhaps she could summon it.

She focused, but to her surprise, the beast she was calling was somewhere inside the demon, suppressed. She redoubled her efforts, the gems on her wings lighting up with power, and the demon snarled back in fury.

"What is she doing?" The magician called. "It's hurting Lady Kyo!"

Seto started and turned. "Kisara, hold on!" He called up. "We need to handle this properly!"

She sneered back, and a pulse of white energy emitted from her. They were bowled over, and she turned back to the demon.

 _Out. Now._ She commanded, and the demon split down the middle. A winged serpent with iridescent scales surged up and out, taking to the air with a cry of relief.

The demon husk cracked into three portions, and the three pieces shot out of her grip. They took the form of the Phantom Gods, and a heady joy filled her as they rounded on her.

Her ring charged up, and she roared a challenge as they bore down on her. _Hah! You'll have to be better than that!_

She fired, and the shockwaves of the launch and the impact made the ground shake; chunks of earth were ripped from the ground and into the air before scattering again.

She roared with joy and triumph; she had never felt so powerful. It felt as if she could do anything, anything at all. She could rewrite reality if she wanted, and she was only scratching the surface.

* * *

Kyo hadn't felt the impact of her body hitting the ground, but she did see it; she saw it through Mahad's eyes as his hand grasped her scarab. He had called her spirit out as soon as they'd touched; and she'd manifested as an illusion beside him.

Kisara's transformation was breathtaking. The creature she had become was… wondrous and terrifying, and the immeasurable power she sensed as they stood in its presence was like nothing she had ever felt before. But then it had started to do something to the demon, and Kyo had felt as if her head was splitting open.

Mahad had tried to stop Kisara, but what mortal could dare stand up to the power of a god? It had felt like her soul was being shredded, and she'd been forced to release the seal completely. Her power rushed back into her, and all the power of the Phantom was released.

The three Phantom Gods reappeared, and the world started to warp. Luckily, with her power restored, she could feed it into Mahad, restoring him as well, at least partially. The Rainbow Dragon was back, pure and free to fight. And Kisara seemed to be in a league of her own. Kyo didn't have her body back –she doubted she ever would, given the impact– but at this point there were bigger things to worry about.

 _Dark Magician Girl! Magician's Valkyria!_ Kyo called, and Mahad took off, pulling away from the titans as they wrestled.

The two magicians appeared on either side of her and Mahad.

"You're late," Mahad directed at Dark Magician Girl, who gave him a frown.

 _"It's not my fault! The Phantom was blocking the way!"_ She pouted, turning to Kyo. _"I'm sorry,"_ She added remorsefully. _"I would've come sooner if I could have."_

 _"It's okay."_ Kyo replied. _"Let's just deal with the Phantom. And hopefully we won't have to deal with Kisara."_

Seto had taken to the skies again himself; he was riding Different Dimension Dragon as two more Blue-Eyes appeared and merged with the first.

 _"How does that even work? Are there three Blue-Eyes White Dragons?"_

"They are part of her soul." Mahad said. "It's… complicated, and it's not like myself and the other Dark Magician cards."

A Blue-Eyes Neo Ultimate Dragon took to the air, roaring a challenge as it flew up beside Kisara. Along with it came the Rainbow Dragon, a little more hesitantly, but she seemed content with them joining the fight, at least.

 _"I hate to say it,"_ Kyo said, _"But we might be better off staying out of this. We can't exactly go toe-to-toe with these titans."_

Mahad let out a soft breath, and she sensed his reluctant agreement. The four of them pulled further out of the way as Kisara buried her fangs in Uria's throat and the two went rolling across the ground.

 _"Here's what we'll do."_ Kyo decided. _"Get down there and try to keep people out of the way. Transport them out of the park if you have to. But let's keep the area clear and try to keep casualties to a minimum."_ She spread her hand. _"Apprentice Magicians! Alchemist of Black Spells! Valkyria! Dark Magician of Chaos! Black Luster Soldier–"_

"Wait, Lady Kyo–" Mahad started, but she'd already summoned the soldier.

There was a ripple of chaos, and suddenly she was seeing double. Or rather, from two different places.

 _What the–_

She felt her soul sucked towards the soldier, and a moment later, she was dressed in blue armor and holding a wicked-looking scimitar and shield.

"What the–" She started, but then she started falling, and yelped.

Mahad caught her. "Send it back!" He said as he carried her aloft. "It is your ka; without a body, your soul is drawn into it when you summon it, and if it is destroyed, so are you."

Kyo blinked. "Oh. Guess I should've listened first." She tried to dismiss it, but for some reason…

"I… uh… can't." She said slowly.

Mahad uttered a soft curse and flew further away from the fight as her other magicians headed down to clear the area of potential casualties. "It must be the Phantom." He said quietly. "It is warping the way our magic works. And now that it is fully free, it can wield that power at will."

"Wait, but can they handle that?" Kyo asked nervously as she looked down at the three white dragons tangling with the three Phantom Gods. "Why hasn't it… rejoined?" She added, though she didn't exactly want to see it in its true form.

"We'll see." Mahad said tensely. He lifted his staff, and golden sigils started appearing.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Casting a backup spell." He said. "I may be able to transport them to a distant corner of the universe, as long as I'm not interrupted."

"What about the Egyptian Gods?" Kyo queried.

His expression was grim. "If we cannot free them, they will be lost with the Phantom."

Kyo frowned. "There has to be another way."

He shrugged. "If the White Dragons are able to defeat the Phantom, there is. But if they cannot, this is the only way I can protect you."

Kyo looked down at the armor she was clad in. "Can I help?"

He hesitated.

"I'm the Envoy of the Beginning, apparently. And I have the power to banish monsters. Right? So, is there something I can do?" She asked.

"I don't know." He admitted. "This is already far beyond anything I could have imagined."

She looked back down at the battlefield. Her magicians were darting around like little fireflies, dodging the massive limbs of the titans as their battle raged overhead. She could see people watching in awestruck wonder below; still under the belief that it was all a hologram, despite the rampant destruction.

She looked back at the Phantom Gods and felt a wrench of grief; this wasn't what they had wanted, either. They had been locked away for years, then placed into her care by her father. Ra had allowed her to carry him in an effort to keep him away from the Phantom… and she'd failed.

She felt a wrench like a sudden pull, and saw the world being sucked inward towards the three Phantom Gods. Kisara, the Rainbow Dragon, and the Neo Ultimate Dragon drew back. Seto's Different Dimension Dragon vanished briefly before reappearing a short distance away a couple seconds later.

The three Phantom Gods turned on each other, and for a brief moment Kyo thought they were fighting, but then something worse happened.

They merged.

She felt sick. The sight of the mutated form was nauseating, and the warping of the world around them kicked up to a new level of wrongness. The ground cracked, and large chunks of earth dissolved, making the ground look like the site of a meteoric impact. The sun turned black, and the sky became filled with prismatic hues.

 _"I AM ARMITYLE, MASTER OF CHAOS!"_ The Phantom roared in triumph.

Kyo retched, nearly losing her grip on her sword and shield. She felt terrible; was the chaos affecting the Black Luster Soldier… a soldier of chaos?

Mahad flew further back, putting his spell on pause. "Lady Kyo, are you all right?" He queried, concerned.

She was about to nod, but another bout of nausea hit, and she doubled over.

 _PHARAOH!_

She blinked and looked up, her eyes widening as she recognized the presence. _Was that…_

 _Ra?_

Kisara bounded forward, but Armityle threw her back with impunity. Its left arm, which was comprised of the neck and head of Uria, threw a careless ball of chaos in her direction, and she snarled in pain as it hit.

Neo Ultimate roared and darted between them, surging up with a triple attack of its own, and the Rainbow Dragon added a prismatic charge. Armityle resisted both attacks with ease.

Damn! Kyo looked around to see Seto using his crystaldisk; it looked like he was trying to combine cards to help his dragon. But the Phantom was just too strong.

She looked back. _Is it because of the Egyptian Gods?_ She wondered. _Kisara was able to pull the Rainbow Dragon out of the demon. Can I… can we pull at least one of them out?_

She thought about trying to get Seto's attention, but he was really busy. And there wasn't much chance she could get to Kisara, either.

 _Well, let me try on my own, first._ She thought, and moved her sword over to her shield hand. She held out her free hand.

"Lady Kyo?" Mahad queried, startled.

She closed her eyes. _Almighty one, I failed you. I could not keep you safe, and I allowed you to be sealed, leading to your capture and mutation into this twisted, disgraceful form. But please, if it is within your power, lend me your strength, that we may banish this beast._

She felt a shimmering response, but it was cut off, and Armityle rounded on her.

"Damn!" Mahad's arm tightened, and he shot across the sky, dragging her with him. "What are you trying to do?" He demanded, then softened his address. "Lady Kyo?"

"They're calling out to me." Kyo said. "The Egyptian Gods. I thought if I could reach back… maybe…"

"Milady!" Mahad's voice was filled with exasperation. "The Phantom is hardly going to let you just take them!"

Armityle surged up towards them, and Mahad turned, fleeing. Kisara shot upward, catching the Phantom from below, and whipping around to get on top as the Neo Ultimate charged up a blast to follow.

Kyo grimaced. "Sorry." She said as Mahad finally slowed.

But as he settled down and got back to his spellwork, she closed her eyes again. _Almighty one, please… we can't do this without you!_

She felt fire on the edges of her consciousness and recoiled instinctively. She sensed Ra's displeasure at her reaction and realized what would have to happen for this to work.

 _…Damn._ She thought. She hesitated, then braced herself. "Mahad,"

He looked down at her.

"I have to."

He started. "Milady–" He stopped.

Then his arms wrapped around her, supporting her. "Do what you must, and I will do what I can."

She nodded. "Thank you." She reached out. _Almighty one… I am ready. Please, grant your servant the strength to fight… and the stamina to endure your heavenly fire._

The flames licked at the fringes of her mind, but though she trembled, she did not pull away. Then the fire poured into her soul, and she felt the power of the Egyptian God of the Sun suffuse her spirit.

Her armor changed, becoming white-gold and draconic. She felt Mahad's magic protecting her soul as best he could, and through the pain, she could feel the power… and the mind of a deity.

Armityle snarled in fury as a third of its body dissolved. The two remaining pieces became bloated, as if to compensate, and it flew up towards her, but the three dragons dragged it back; and without Ra, it had more trouble fighting them off.

Ra's light shone from her, and his mind merged with hers. The connection was oddly intimate; she could see memories in his mind's eye stretching all the way back to Egypt.

He was not Ra, not directly. He was an avatar of the deity the Egyptians worshipped, created to fight beside the Pharaoh in defense of that land against the Dark One. And as such, at times, his mind was barely more than that of a beast, the incarnate wrath of a deity working in mortal chains.

At times, a powerful ally, and at times, a deadly foe. He had worked both for and against her as the Pharaoh; but such was his destiny on Earth.

 _It's time for you to move on._ She thought, though the thoughts were born of another soul buried deep inside her. _Just as it is time for me._

She turned to the battle, spreading her wings, and lifted her sword. _Time to end this._

"MAGICIAN," She said, her voice echoing like distant thunder.

He came around, sensing she could hover on her own, and gave her a cautious look.

"THE VESSEL IS STRONG, BUT PERHAPS NOT STRONG ENOUGH. ARE YOU PREPARED TO SACRIFICE YOUR SPIRIT IF NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN IT?" The words spoke themselves; it was Ra speaking, not her.

She felt sorrow at what she was asking, and a tear slid down her cheek.

"Always." Mahad murmured, bowing his head.

 _No! Please…_ She wept. Her fingers tightened on the blade. "I hope it won't come to that." She said, bracing herself.

He glanced up, and his lavender eyes met her gold ones. His gaze softened. "I have faith in you, Milady." He said quietly.

She nodded back. _Then I won't let you down._ She thought, turning back to the Phantom. _Let's go._

She powered forward, raising her sword and shouting a battlecry.


	53. All-Out Warfare

"HEY! Y'all can't start widout us!"

They all glanced up. Joey and Sirius, riding a Red-Eyes, flew in a few moments later.

"You're late, Wheeler." Seto growled.

"Well, s'cuse me." Joey snapped back, glaring at him. "Apparently our invitation got lost."

A blast of chaos shot towards them, and the Red-Eyes ducked around it.

"Think that's your invitation right there." Seto said dryly, turning back. "Now shut up and fight!"

"Heh. No need t' tell me twice." Joey smirked. "Sirius, hop off."

"What? Why?"

"You gotta summon somethin' of your own." Joey said, glancing back at him. "We could use all the help we can get."

Sirius blinked, then nodded back. "I won' let you down, Dad." He said, getting up.

Joey grinned. "Atta boy."

Sirius hopped off, and a moment later, Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon appeared to carry him aloft.

"Niiice!" Joey cheered. "Now, let's go give 'im an invitation t' leave Wheeler-style!"

His Red-Eyes promptly got slapped out of the sky with Armityle's tail.

"Hey!" Sirius shouted angrily.

"It's never a good idea to turn your back on an ultimate dragon." Seto said at the same time as his Neo Ultimate Dragon pounced on Armityle, seizing the Phantom's wing and yanking it back.

Armityle slipped free, rounding on him, but Joey was up again, and the Red-Eyes fired a burst of red and black balls of flame. The Phantom dodged the attacks and snaked rapidly around the Neo Ultimate, seizing its necks in a long, mutant tail and squeezing.

Kyo bounded forward and powered up shield-first, slamming into Armityle's jaw, and Sirius appeared beside her to slap Armityle with Black Flare's tail. She jumped loose and grabbed on as he soared away.

Armityle's grip just tightened, though, and the Rainbow Dragon and Kisara flew in to take their turn. Jesse fired a quick multicolored bolt, and Kisara dug her claws into the Phantom's coils, dragging with all her might to loosen its grip. Neo Ultimate slipped free, and all three of them rounded on Armityle. The Phantom fired a burst, and Neo Ultimate countered; the impact forced everyone back.

"Damn. We're gonna have to–" Joey was saying, reaching for his deck.

Kyo, suddenly realizing what he was about to do, flew up and seized his wrist, startling him. "NO." She said in a deep boom. "THE CURSED RING WILL NOT BE USED HERE."

Joey looked rather alarmed, but he recovered quickly. "Look, kid. People didn' come back las' time dat should've, an' would've if we'd played it. Now dat your Spirit Seal's broken, dere's no way we can keep dis guy contained except with the Seal of Orichalcos. I don' wanna play it, but we gotta."

"We don't have to." Kyo said, shaking her head and pointing up. "Mahad's taking care of that."

Joey started and looked up at the dome of golden arcane symbols. "What…" His eyes widened, and he looked back. "For real? Can 'e hold de Phantom here?"

Kyo nodded.

Joey gave her a relieved look. "Dang. I sure hope so. I really don' wanna 'ave ta use dis."

"You won't have to." She smiled back, and they turned back to the field just in time to see Kisara firing a rapid burst from the ring on her back.

Armityle snarled and pounced, seizing the five-winged dragon and slamming her into the ground.

"Kisara!" Kyo called, flying down, but a gust of energy threw her off course as a second Phantom appeared behind the first.

 _What the hell–_ She thought, startled.

The first one disappeared, but as Kisara tried to rise, the second one launched a large ball of chaos energy on her, slamming her back down.

Seto, now riding on Neo Ultimate, plowed into Armityle with a shout of fatherly outrage, and the two went skidding across the ground. Joey joined the fray, but was hurled off to the side as the Phantom surged up out of the dust.

Kyo slashed her sword through the air, calling on the power of the sun, and a band of fire emitted, catching Armityle and leaving a big gash across his Uria-arm. Sirius's Black Flare fired a quick burst right after, but the Phantom ignored him as Uria's mouth fired an oscillating bolt of chaos energy at Kyo.

She dodged, powering away, but a giant fist appeared out of nowhere and slammed her down into the ground below. Ugh. She rolled onto her back to see Jesse flare his wings between her and the Phantom, distracting him. She missed what happened next, but suddenly Armityle was howling, and the Rainbow Dragon shot away, carrying her in its tail.

The Phantom was clutching his face; someone must've hit his eye. Kisara sneered triumphantly nearby, and Seto, capitalizing on Armityle's momentary incapacity, fired three bursts – one from each head. Joey followed it up with an Inferno Fire Blast, and they cheered as the Phantom fell back.

 _That's way too easy._ Kyo thought, bracing herself.

Out of the dust, a claw emerged, ripping through the air. She was momentarily puzzled, but then Seto shouted in alarm. They whirled to see a rift opening beside him and Neo Ultimate, who tried to flee, but the rift's pull was powerful, and a blast from Armityle threw them off balance.

They were sucked in, and the rift snapped shut.

 _Mr. Kaiba!_ Kyo gasped, startled by the suddenness of the attack.

 _"FATHER!"_ Kisara bellowed, rounding on Armityle with titanic wrath.

 _Damn–_ Kyo bounded down, Jesse on her tail, and Sirius across the way. Kisara powered up, and Kyo spun, calling on Ra's fire. Jesse charged an attack, and Sirius fired – a split second before they all did, their attacks drawn to each other and flying at Armityle, throwing it backwards.

The Phantom emerged from the dust practically before it had even risen and powered forward, sending a burst of chaos at Kisara, who froze in panic. Jesse shot down, swirling and spreading his wings in a flare, and the attack was deflected skyward to dissipate harmlessly against the golden dome.

Kisara stared at him, and he looked back at her as the others moved to engage the Phantom. _"Hey, sorry 'bout all th' trouble. Didn' mean t' do any of it."_

She smiled. _"I'm just glad you're back, Jesse."_ She said honestly.

He relaxed, relieved. _"Crazy, huh? Us bein' dragons?"_

She chuckled. _"Yeah. But boy am I glad we are right now."_

He nodded. _"No kiddin'."_ He turned. _"That thing's crazy strong. But Rainbow Dragon… uh, I c'n get stronger with th' Crystal Beasts. Think it's worth a shot?"_

She stepped up beside him. _"Better do it quick while he's distracted."_ She said.

He dipped his head, and a moment later, the arena was flooded with Crystal Beasts, their gems reflecting and refracting the light of the sun.

Kisara bounded forward, charging up a blast, and fired into the midst of the fighting. The others scattered, and Armityle was left wide open. She jumped up, powering into the air, and he followed her, but several beams of light distracted him and he looked down again.

The Crystal Beasts' light reflected onto Jesse, and he roared as their power charged up his attack. He fired an enormous burst of iridescent energy, which struck Armityle right in the chest.

He was thrown back into the dirt, and Kisara pounced, slamming down on him with a draconic shriek.

 _"Kisara!"_ Jesse shouted in alarm, and a moment later, the Phantom flung her across the arena. Joey darted in, tackling him, but when Armityle tried to do the same to him, Red-Eyes dodged around the attack.

The Phantom spun, snarling, but was struck from below by a speeding, fiery comet square in the jaw. He fell back, and Kyo twirled in midair, bringing down her sword with another arc of flames. Her attack was punctuated with a blast from Sirius's Black Flare Dragon, and the Phantom grunted.

There was a brief lull, but then a wave of chaos crossed the field, and they all scrambled to get out of the way. The Crystal Beasts cried out as they were shattered by the blast, and the Rainbow Dragon hissed in sympathetic pain.

Sirius yelped, and they looked up to see Armityle seizing the Black Flare Dragon with Uria's double jaw. The Phantom spun, and the dragon was thrown across the arena.

"Sirius!" Joey shouted in alarm.

The dragon skidded to a halt, then vanished. Sirius could be seen, looking battered but alive. Armityle rounded on him, but Jesse fired off another powered-up shot – the last of the Crystal Beasts' energy that they'd managed to give him before their destruction.

Armityle narrowly avoided a direct hit, but the burn was enough to distract him from the now-helpless Sirius. Kyo glanced over again and saw a Flame Swordsman appear beside him, scooping him up to carry him out of harm's way.

She looked back to see Kisara worry the Phantom like a bone, her fangs buried in Armityle's shoulder. Before it could retaliate, though, she jumped away, letting her claws slash its flesh as she did.

Armityle rounded on her, bristling and reaching out, but she was too far away.

Then his arms vanished. And a moment later, his entire body went with it.

Kyo started and flew forward, searching the field. "Where is he?" She called, turning.

The others were casting around as well.

 _"Kisara!"_ Jesse called in horror.

The Phantom melted out of nowhere, wrapping tightly around the Divine Dragon. Its claws and fangs buried themselves in her scales, and they could all feel the chaos that was rending at her soul.

"KISARA!" Kyo bellowed, and she and Jesse shot upward.

Joey shot a burst of energy blasts past them, and Armityle snarled, releasing his victim. Kisara dropped, her eyes closed; she must have passed out. Jesse swooped under her, swirling around to catch her in his coils.

"Get her out of here!" Kyo shouted as she leapt between them and the Phantom, and he darted away.

Armityle fired a stream of chaos orbs at Joey and his Red-Eyes, and they dodged among them, narrowly avoiding quite a few. The Phantom snarled again and made another ripping motion, and another rift appeared right in front of them.

They couldn't brake in time; they shot right through, and it closed right after them, preventing them from returning.

"No!" Kyo gasped.

Another rift appeared, though, right in front of the Phantom, and a confused Joey and Red-Eyes burst out, startled by their sudden transitions.

"Look out!" She shouted, but Armityle's fists were already slamming down on the two, dropping them straight into the ground. The Red-Eyes vanished.

Kyo darted forward, slashing with her sword, and a row of fireballs shot out at Armityle. She dived down, bringing her shield to bear, and spun around to face the Phantom – and to stand between him and Joey.

Armityle hurled a large orb of chaos down on her, but she braced herself behind her shield to block the attack. It felt like the Magic Cylinders; the effort of blocking was almost too much for her. But she was merged with an Egyptian God.

She threw off the blast with a shout and tightened her grip on her sword.

The attack had not been completely ineffective, however. She could feel her spirit weakening. She and Ra were fine, but the mortal spirit powering them had been wounded by the assault. They'd have to call on Mahad soon if things didn't change.

 _No. I won't call on him unless there's no other choice._

 _THERE WILL BE NO OTHER CHOICE. WE CANNOT ALLOW ARMITYLE TO SUCCEED; WE WILL NOT GET ANOTHER CHANCE._

She braced herself, then took a step, but at that moment, another rift opened, taking even Armityle by surprise.

The first thing through was a four-winged dragon, which Kyo quickly recognized as Seto's monster. Which meant–

There he was, riding the Blue-Eyes Neo Ultimate Dragon in all his (absurdly impressive) glory. Seto shouted, and Neo Ultimate roared, pouncing on a very surprised Phantom. Three sets of fangs tore at the Phantom, and wings beat against it before taking to the sky with a mighty kick that made the earth tremble.

There was silence.

Kyo stared. _Did he just…?_

Seto swept around, taking in the scene with a quick glance. His eyes paused on Jesse and Kisara, and his expression became thunderous as he turned back to face Armityle's limp form.

"For that, you will pay dearly." Seto swore, his eyes flashing. "Take it away, Blue-Eyes!"

The Neo Ultimate roared and powered up, adding three blasts to one all-powerful beam. It fired, the impact made the ground quake. Rifts appeared, racing across the surface, and Kyo hastily grabbed Joey, leaping into the air to avoid getting swallowed.

"Milady,"

She curled her lip, annoyed at the interruption, but Mahad had his head bowed and his hand on his heart in deep respect. "Let me take him, Milady."

She blinked, then nodded. "HERE." She tossed the limp form over, and he caught it. "REMOVE HIM FROM DANGER."

He nodded and retreated swiftly.

She watched him go, feeling a strange disconnect in how she'd acted. But she couldn't worry about that now; the attack was ending. She turned back.

A massive crater dominated the arena, and several rifts had opened to shadows below. A mangled mass of charred flesh was left in the center, unmoving.

Her eyes narrowed. _So why do I still sense its presence?_

There was a faint ripple. Then the ground gave an almighty heave, and columns of dirt and stone shot up like vines towards the Blue-Eyes.

The three heads fired rapidly, blasting the columns to dust to keep them at bay. Kyo sent down a flick of her sword, and fire consumed several other columns that tried to sneak up from behind.

A lance, faster than thought, shot up after them. Neo Ultimate bellowed in pain and outrage, flailing briefly as one of its heads was impaled by the bolt of chaos.


	54. Faltering

The three dragons separated. Seto fell onto the middle one, which caught him, but the one on the right faded away with a forlorn cry.

Seto snarled and drew a card from his crystaldisk. The two remaining dragons lit up and merged again, and a Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon took over for its fallen ultimate form.

Armityle reappeared, and Kyo shot down, shouting and slashing at its back. It whirled, and the wing threw her off target and across the arena.

Jesse caught her before she could hit the wall. She grumbled at him, pushing him away as she recovered. "I thought you were watching Kisara." She reprimanded.

He snorted softly. _"That thing's still movin', an' we ben hittin' it with all we've got. I can't sit it out."_

She huffed and charged forward again. Jesse kept pace, firing a bolt of prismatic energy, and the Twin Burst Dragon launched a double attack of its own.

Armityle vanished again, and the two attacks impacted in the center. Twin Burst's attack overtook Jesse's, and they were forced to dodge as the white lightning came their way.

"HEY!" Kyo snapped.

Seto ignored her. The two heads of his dragon turned to scan the field, and he searched with them.

 _"Where'd it go?"_ Jesse wondered as he slithered through the air.

Kyo frowned.

 _"It can't leave, can it?"_ He asked.

"No. Mahad's spell traps everything inside." Kyo said. "He can't escape."

They circled around.

"Kisara!" Seto started and turned, diving, and the other two followed his gaze. Jesse surged after him immediately, but Kyo waited; it wasn't there. Sure, it might go after the weak ones, but that would be a poor tactic at this point. She turned, her eyes scanning the field. No, it was somewhere else. Once it realized it couldn't escape, it would fight with greater cunning than before, and it had all the powers of chaos at its disposal.

She touched her chest. The mortal soul was tiring, but still strong. She had to admit she hadn't expected it to last this long, but it had been so long since she had merged with this particular soul; she had forgotten how strong it was. This was why she was on Earth, after all; her strength was supposed to resonate with this one. Even if its form had changed.

She blinked and touched her head. _When… when did I start thinking like Ra?_ She wondered.

 _WE MUST REMAIN VIGILANT._ He reminded her.

She turned to scan the field.

It was almost laughable; the two-headed dragon was hovering over the weaklings like a mother hen. Even the winged serpent was not permitted close. She snorted and looked away.

 _YOU CANNOT HIDE FOREVER._

She drew her sword up, calling on the fire of the sun. She would sift through the arena with a net of holy flames; it would not be able to hide.

Before she could, though, the Phantom burst up out of the ground directly under the Rainbow Dragon. Uria's jaws closed over Jesse's neck and squeezed, and Armityle spun, slamming him down into the ground. The Rainbow Dragon flickered and died, and his human form collapsed in the dirt. Uria turned, fangs bared, ready to swallow the mortal in a single gulp.

The Twin Burst Dragon tackled him, dragging him away from the fallen, and Kyo darted down to slash with her sword. Armityle reared up out of the dust, and for a brief moment, they were eye to eye.

Then the massive head slammed into her, and she was thrown across the arena. She bounded back to her feet and returned to the fray as Seto's dragon slapped Armityle with its tail. Kyo powered forward with the speed of Ra's fury, and returned headbutt for headbutt. Armityle snarled and rounded on her, but she blocked with her shield again.

Seto fired two bursts from his dragon, but Armityle dodged the first one and blocked the second, then vanished again. "No!" Seto snapped, but started and whirled as the Phantom reappeared behind him.

The claw and Uria-head closed, clapping the dragon's two heads together, and the Uria-head seized the stunned dragon, tossing it off to the side. It vanished, and Seto passed out before he hit the ground.

Kyo's eyes narrowed as she turned –the last one left– to face the Phantom.

The silence stretched as each waited.

 _HE TIRES._ She noted. _HE TRIED TO FLEE AND FAILED._

 _I just need to hold out a little longer._

She touched her chest, her eyes not leaving Armityle's. Her mortal spirit was running low. Lower than she would have liked, but she was honoring its wishes. She didn't want to draw on the magician until they had to.

But in the end, there would be no choice; they were already on their second chance to defeat Armityle, and they would not get another. It was now, or never. And never wasn't an option.

Armityle shifted, and she darted back, shooting a burst of fireballs from her blade. The Phantom pursued her across the field, but she was careful to keep out of reach.

As he closed with her, she slowed suddenly, and he started, caught off guard. She slammed her foot into his forehead, using the impact to power herself away.

She paid for it, though; the Phantom's tail slammed into her, throwing her to the ground. She bounded upright and darted back, but he teleported around her, and the next thing she knew he had seized one of her wings.

She snarled in outrage at his audacity, but had to raise her shield as he fired a round of chaos beads at her.

 _HE WEAKENS._ She thought, sneering at the attempt – a mere shadow of what it had been. But her mortal spirit was getting dangerously low, and she couldn't fight free.

 _I MUST CALL THE MAGICIAN._

Her eyes widened. _No, wait!_

 _WE MUST._

She felt a chill. The mortal soul was starting to falter. _No!_ She tightened her grip on her sword.

A burst of white balls of energy struck Armityle, and the Phantom was forced to drop her. She landed on her feet and turned to see Kisara back in the game; she was still in dragon form.

Armityle rounded on Kisara, tossing a ball of chaos in her direction. She blocked the attack, but the strain could be seen on her face; she might be back in the game, but she wasn't back up to scratch.

 _Speaking of which…_

Kyo shook herself and swung her sword, a burst of fire racing up to hit the Phantom. Armityle shook it off, though, dispelling the flames. Kisara added another wave of attacks, but the Phantom was unfazed.

 _It just can't die!_ She felt another chill. The mortal spirit was fading and losing faith; and without it to bind her here, she would be little more than a shadow.

Her lip curled.

Armityle let out another shockwave of chaos, and she and Kisara both took to the air, dodging away from it.

 _No. He_ is _weakening!_ She thought as she felt the wave pass across the field. _He can't go after both of us–_

But the Phantom already knew who it was focusing on.

Veins of chaos shot up from the ground like roots, seizing her by the ankles. She grunted and turned, trying to cut through them, but Armityle pounced on her and slammed her into the ground.

He hissed, rearing up overhead.

 _I MUST._

She could feel Ra reaching out through her link to summon Mahad. And she could sense him respond; he knew what was about to happen, and that it was the only way to win.

 _But there's another way._ She thought. _I can't sacrifice him._

Ra paused.

Kyo opened her core, releasing the last stronghold in the back of her mind. She had been trying to survive – to last through Ra's consuming flames. She had been afraid of burning out before Armityle had fallen. But seeing it faltering, and sensing its weakness, she knew she could make it. Just long enough, anyway, for Ra to finish it off.

 _ARE YOU CERTAIN YOU WISH TO PROCEED?_ Ra queried.

She nodded, sitting up. Mahad landed beside her, ready to give up his soul for her – it wouldn't have been the first time.

But he wouldn't have to. Not this time.

She got to her feet as the fire raced through the rest of her soul, consuming the last of her from the inside out. Flames danced across her body, and the physical shell dissolved into the divine radiance.

She spread her arms… wings, now, as she took the form of the Immortal God Phoenix. She heard a low exclamation from Mahad beside her, and Kisara arrived on the other side. She turned, and golden eyes met blue ones.

Then Kisara, too, set herself on fire – a white, cool flame resolving down into an orb as if in imitation of the moon. Kyo blinked, then followed suit, becoming the sun.

Mahad dismissed his staff and held out his hands, and the two orbs of divine radiance fell into them. He felt the energy pulsating through him, and lifted them as Armityle powered down. He guided them upward, and the impact made the world turn white.


	55. The Hole He Left Behind

Mahad could sense the victory before the light had even begun to fade. His spell took hold, seizing the Phantom and ripping it out of the world, flinging it far across the cosmos to some distant corner of the universe. It would be eons before it could make its way back.

Kisara, still as the titanic Divine Dragon, reformed out of the white light, and the remaining light turned a soft gold. Mahad squinted, trying to see through it, but all he saw was a tiny shadow. He reached out and seized it, and felt the scarab that had housed the soul of his master.

It was empty.

"Lady Kyo?" He looked up again, concerned. Ra had taken on the Phoenix form right at the end; that was a symbol of his death and rebirth. The magician hoped that didn't include Kyo, as his vessel.

Kisara looked down at him, then up again, and they saw the three Egyptian Gods reforming out of the ruins.

And among them, the lights of souls. Mahad's eyes widened as he recognized Yugi and Téa; they had been lost when Armityle had first arrived. Did that mean the Phantom's victims were returning? What did that mean for Kyo?

The scarab grew warm in his hand, and he looked down to see it glowing; a moment later, it flew out of his palm, growing and shifting to take human form.

"Lady Kyo," He recognized even before the light disappeared.

She smiled back. "Hi," She said. "Guess we won, huh? Or are we all dead?"

"We won." He returned with faint amusement. Knowing how happy she'd be, he added, "Turn around."

She blinked at him, then turned, and froze.

"DAD!" She shouted, running forward.

"Hey, kiddo!" Yugi greeted happily, sweeping her up in his arms as she reached him. "Boy, am I glad to see you…" He trailed off.

Kyo looked up.

Yugi stared at her. His expression was bizarre; she had never seen a look like that on his face before. But she'd seen this reaction in others a couple of times now – shock, then a number of emotions racing across his face too quick to catch.

She stepped back, feeling a stab of pain in her heart. _The Pharaoh._ She thought. And for the first time, a flicker of resentment followed. _All they care about is him. Even Dad._

"Kyo!" Téa came over and hugged her, relieved. "Oh my gosh, look how much you've grown! How long has it been?"

She didn't answer. She gave Yugi one last glance, then turned away, looking back at Mahad, then up at Kisara.

Kisara cared. She didn't know the Pharaoh. They were sisters, and she was sure that at least Kisara liked her for who she was and not who she used to be.

"Kyo? What's wrong?" Téa asked, surprised. "You okay? Oh my goodness!" She stopped, staring at Kisara. "Is that a Blue-Eyes White Dragon?"

"That's Kisara." Kyo said. Right on cue, her sister changed back, dropping down and coming over.

"Kis– holy cow, you mean–" Téa seemed flabbergasted. "Wait, but the Phantom–" Things started to click into place. "So you two defeated the Phantom?" She asked, startled. "Is that why we're… wherever we are?" She looked back. "And the Egyptian Gods? I thought they were going to get mutated or something. Where's Lord Dartz?"

"There's a lot to catch up on." Kyo said, still not looking at them.

Kisara noticed and gave her a worried look. She sighed and dropped her gaze in response.

"Pharaoh!"

They all looked around, but it wasn't anyone from the crowd – that was Dark Magician Girl, looking rather tan as she tackled Kyo with a big, happy hug.

"What– Dark Magician Girl?" Kyo managed, taken aback.

"Oh come _on_ , you remembered Mahad, don't tell me you forgot _me_!" She wailed, pouting as she let go.

"Uh, I…" Kyo hesitated, but it was more of the same, wasn't it? "I'm not the Pharaoh." She said quietly, shaking her head. "I don't remember any of that."

"You remembered the Spirit Seal." Dark Magician Girl pointed out. "Well, granted, I sorta _made_ you remember that–"

"You _what_?!" Mahad snapped, sounding angrier than Kyo'd ever heard him before. "Mana, tell me you didn't just–"

"He was gonna be swallowed!" Mana shouted back. "I couldn't just stand by and let him get swallowed, now could I? And with that stupid Seal of Orichalcos, it was all I could do to make him remember even _that_ much–"

"I'm not a 'he'." Kyo muttered.

"You knew." Mahad said suddenly. "You knew about this. You know– why? Why did you let him do this?"

Kyo stiffened and backed away, feeling sick. She went over by Kisara, and saw to her relief the comprehension in her sister's eyes. She knew. She, at least, understood.

"Because he's a stubborn, thick-headed idiot, that's why! I couldn't stop him!" Mana burst out. "It's not fair! He'd only just got back, then he wanted to run off and come back to the mortal realm! You should be more grateful, Mahad, you got to hang out with him!"

"That is not–"

"Okay, you two, that's enough." Yugi said, coming over, and they quieted. "Mana, I think it's pretty clear you know what's going on. Do you think you could explain why my daughter suddenly feels like… _him_?"

"Well, she's been that way for a while now. You just weren't paying attention." Mana shrugged. "Though if you want to blame someone, blame Mahad. _He's_ the whole reason Atem came back, anyway."

Kyo's eyes widened, and she saw her shock mirrored in Mahad's (and everyone else's) face.

"What are you talking about, Mana? Why am I the one to blame?" Mahad frowned.

"Because you went and got yourself stuck here, that's why." Mana said, hands on her hips. "Oh, he was all fine and dandy with the Afterlife. We even went on some fun adventures together in the Kingdom of the Beasts! But then he remembered you." She sighed. "You were stuck here. And we both wanted to help you move on, too."

"But how does becoming Yugi's brat have anything to do with that?" Seto had revived as well, and had come over – and was listening.

"Kaiba?" Yugi looked over. "You're looking well," He noted.

"Save it." Seto grunted.

"Jeez. I almost thought I missed you." Téa muttered.

"He couldn't come back as himself." Mana said. "He would've just gotten stuck, and that would have been no help to anyone. I wanted to come back as Dark Magician Girl –there's this spell I invented after Mahad to merge only temporarily with your ka– and he could come back as Black Luster Soldier, but you were sealed away."

Yugi paled. "And I… I never summoned either of those monsters." He said softly.

"And why not, anyway?!" Mana rounded on him. "I thought we were friends! We wouldn't have had to do all this!"

Yugi looked abashed.

"Well, it's okay," Mana became abruptly happy again. "I figured out how to fix everything. First of all," She turned. "I can split you and your ka back apart. That means you'll be able to come to the Afterlife and lay your soul to rest at long last. And second," She rounded on Kyo. "Thanks to Seto, actually, we still have the Tablet of Lost Memories, and I can use that to make you Atem again."

Kyo tensed and retreated behind Kisara, feeling numb.

"Now wait just a minute, Mana." Yugi said suddenly, stepping between them. "That's my daughter you're talking about."

"Yeah, but it's the Pharaoh, too." Mana said, though she sounded a little uneasy as she started to realize the implications. "Don't you want him back?"

"Not if it means losing Kyo." Yugi's voice was so assured that Kyo looked up in surprise. "Atem and I said our goodbyes. And from the sound of it, this was his choice. I'm not about to go back on that just to have him back. Besides, this is really not our decision to make; it's Kyo's. She's a person, too, you know. And I'd appreciate you treating her like one."

There was a slight pause.

"Sorry," Mana mumbled.

Yugi shifted. "Besides, we really ought to clear out of here. You just defeated the Phantom; we should be celebrating."

* * *

After some discussion, they decided to head back to Atlantis to report in with Dartz and Rafael. On the way, Kyo got on the Blue-Eyes Divine Dragon behind Kisara, trying (and failing) to think of anything else.

She could become the Pharaoh again. She didn't have to be Kyo anymore. From the sounds of it, she'd succeeded in her mission anyway – to find a way to free Mahad. Well, Mana had that part, but she'd gotten Mahad out of the seal so he _could_ be freed.

But she was Kyo. She had no memory of the Pharaoh. He sounded like something straight out of legend; she could be that, if she wanted… but she didn't. For the same reasons she'd never actually run away every time she was tempted to.

It felt like giving up.

"I don't want you to go," Kisara said quietly as they flew. Mahad and Mana were nearby, but they seemed to get that Kyo didn't want them around at the moment and were keeping their distance. Seto was riding on his Blue-Eyes, and Yugi and Téa were riding on the back of Gandora, the Dragon of Destruction.

"I mean, if you want to, I'll understand. It sounds like this Pharaoh guy was pretty important." Kisara continued. "But I'd miss you if you did."

Kyo nodded and held her a little tighter. She didn't want to leave either. But she could see it in their eyes – she had seen it from the first moment the Dark Magician had recognized her as the Pharaoh.

Everyone else missed him. They missed him a lot.

It was hardest seeing it in Yugi's eyes. There was an ache in his soul, and Kyo hated that look. Because he wasn't looking at just her anymore. The person who had always been there for her, who had always protected her, always believed in her… it wasn't just her he saw anymore. At least with Mahad it had been there from the start, but this felt like a knife in her chest. Why, oh why had Atem thought this was the only way?

"I don't want to go." Kyo whispered, burying her face in her sister's shoulder. "But I hate how they look at me."

"We'll find another way." Kisara said. "There must be something we're not thinking of. Some way for everyone to be happy, including you."

Kyo didn't say anything, but she thought Kisara was being overly optimistic.

She sighed.

* * *

As everyone else crowded in the main hall, Kyo slipped away, out the door and off to the city below. She couldn't stand them – any of them. It wasn't like the place was packed, but there were too many people, and they all knew the Pharaoh too much.

She wandered down the street, wondering vaguely how long it would take for them to notice she was gone. Or rather, that the Pharaoh was gone.

 _Not long, apparently._ She thought, her shoulders tightening. "I don't want to talk right now."

There was a soft chuckle. "I guess saying I know exactly how you feel's gonna take some explanation, huh?"

She looked back and blinked. It was Yugi. And there was nothing in his expression that gave away that there was someone else he was talking to.

He stepped up beside her. "When I was your age, I found this… puzzle. An artifact that had been broken into a number of pieces." He said, starting off down the street.

She followed.

"When I put it together, the soul of an ancient pharaoh, Atem, took up residence inside me." He looked over at her… and there still wasn't a hint that he was talking to anyone but her. "I was pretty shy back then. And whenever we got into trouble, Atem would take over and save the day." He smiled ruefully. "He meant the world to me, and I'll always cherish the chance I had to be with him. But along the way, it seemed like _everything_ revolved around him. Everything except my friends."

A brief flicker of something crossed his face, and Kyo got the impression that even his bond with his friends had been overshadowed by this.

"So I get it." Yugi continued. "Everyone's talking about the Pharaoh, and no one's talking about you. And from the sound of it, you're the one who saved the day."

Kyo twitched and looked away. "Apparently not. Not if Mana was the reason I remembered the Spirit Seal."

"Uh, _no_." Yugi said a little sharply. " _You_ used it. You kept it going, even at great cost. Even though everything was against you, you, a _fourteen-year-old_ , kept fighting. I don't care if anyone says it was that or be killed – that _still_ takes a lot of courage and heart." He sounded so certain that her arguments died on her lips.

She looked down.

"You said you don't remember anything of the Pharaoh, right?" Yugi added.

She shook her head.

"Then you can't pin any of your successes on him." He said. "You're the one who did it all. You're the one who saved the day." He sounded… proud. "Even _I_ failed. But you… you won." He grinned and patted her shoulder.

"But what about the Pharaoh?" Kyo asked, looking up. "He's still… I'm still… him. They want him back. He'd been sealed away for five thousand years, and they only just got him back before he left again." She felt sick. 'They' didn't really mean Mana; she didn't know her. Not like she knew Mahad.

Or cared about him.

Yugi's expression was a mixture of understanding, wry amusement, faint annoyance, and ruefulness. "Well, that's his own darn fault for running back here." He said bluntly. "And maybe mine." He added in a low voice.

Kyo blinked.

"But you shouldn't have to pay the price." He shook his head. "Not for the mistakes everyone else has made."

 _Too late for that, isn't it?_ She thought, tears in her eyes as she looked away.

"Kyo," He put a hand on her shoulder. "Things rarely go the way we want them to. We only got to know Atem for a few years before he had to be laid to rest, and that left some pretty big holes in a lot of people's hearts. But we have to learn to live with them." He said quietly. "It's not up to you to fix that for anyone." He pulled her into a hug. "I love you, Kyo. We all do."


	56. A Painful Choice

"Kyo!"

She looked up as they approached the temple and saw Kisara running out to her.

"We have an idea," She said breathlessly as she skidded to a halt in front of them. "Lord Dartz is awake, and he thinks there's a way to do this, especially since we still have the Tablet of Lost Memories–"

"What are you talking about?" Yugi asked, frowning.

"Split them apart!" Kisara said brightly. "Then Atem can come back without having to sacrifice Kyo."

Yugi looked uncertain, but Kyo was surprised to find the idea extremely appealing.

"What exactly would it mean to split them up?" Yugi asked. "This isn't like when Atem was in with me; we were two separate souls already. If you're talking about cutting out a part of Kyo's soul…"

"Sounds good to me." Kyo said.

Yugi started and looked down at her. "You don't have to do this, Kyo."

"I want to." She replied quietly, looking up at him. "I don't care what it does, if it makes me weaker or means I can't summon monsters anymore, or whatever else, I want to do this." _Because I don't want to have to live with this for the rest of my life, whether it's long or short._ She added mentally.

Yugi gave her an unhappy look, as if he knew what she was thinking. But after a moment, he nodded. "If you're okay with this, then go for it."

She smiled back, then turned to Kisara. "Can he do it right now?"

She nodded and grabbed her hand. "Come on, I'll take you to him."

They took off.

"Thank you, Kisara," Kyo said as they hurried through the temple. The others tried to flag them down, but Kisara ran right past them.

"It just seemed like the only thing we _could_ do." Kisara said. "I had to ask. I knew you wouldn't want to live with this, and it would have been awful if you decided to let them do that to you." She looked back. "So I checked to make sure we were looking at all the options before we had to make a move."

Kyo gave her a relieved smile. "Thanks. I owe you one."

"We're sisters, remember?" Kisara said lightly. "You would've done the same for me."

Kyo gave her a rueful look. "Hopefully without making us bad luck along the way."

Kisara giggled and hurried up the last flight of stairs. "He's in here. He still can't move, but it's just his body, and that will heal, thanks to Eatos."

They entered.

This room wasn't papered with carvings of souls. Instead, it was draped with exquisite tapestries depicting a city of light floating in the clouds. Across the way was a large four-poster bed, and in it lay Dartz, propped up on a pile of pillows. Eatos stood nearby, but as they entered, she waved and vanished.

"That was quick," Dartz noted dryly. "Eager to step out of his shadow, are you?"

Kyo was only faintly abashed. "Can you really do it?" She asked.

"Well, I would need the Tablet of Lost Memories to restore his soul," Dartz said, shifting a little and wincing. "Think you could pop back down and ask them to fetch it for us, Kisara?" He added to her.

"Right, sorry," Kisara nodded and left the room.

Kyo glanced back as she disappeared, then turned.

"This isn't the magical remedy it may sound like, Kyo." Dartz said quietly once she was gone. "While it is true, I can cut out a piece of your soul and give it the memories –and even the mind– of the Pharaoh, the two of you will still be connected."

Kyo blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Time, distance, and dimensions mean little to a soul." He said, clasping his hands in his lap. "You will be able to sense his mind and thoughts, and he yours. And for the rest of your life, there will be a little gap in your mind where that portion of your soul should go… and a gap in his where you belong." His eyes narrowed slightly. "It may be… difficult… to live with."

She opened her mouth, ready to promise anyway, but stopped at the tone in his voice. It told her she needed to think this through very carefully.

"But what choice do I have?" She asked quietly. "If the only other options mean sacrificing myself so he can come back, or not and not letting him…" She shook her head. "I'll find a way to deal with it."

Dartz considered her for a moment, then lifted his hand. "Come here."

She came around the bed, eyeing him cautiously.

"Let me give you a taste, so you are at least prepared." He said, lifting his hand towards her forehead.

She paused, and he was stymied; he couldn't reach further, not with his injury. But if this was a warning, to see…

She stepped forward, and he laid his hand on her head.

His spirit touched hers, and she felt the vast emptiness of eternity weighing on his shoulders. She caught brief glimpses of the city of light, then of many civilizations as he wandered the globe, lost in shadow. And always, that presence looming over his mind, engulfing him in despair – the Leviathan.

Then he scooped out a portion of her soul, and she started, a hand coming up to her chest. She felt a chill and a faintly hollow feeling, and blinked. She didn't feel that much different, but it just felt like there was something that she was forgetting; something she was missing.

"It will make you restless." Dartz said. "Nothing will ever truly satisfy you except the deepest connections of the soul; something that can fill that gap and make you whole again."

She thought she understood what he meant. She would be empty inside, and a little lesser for it. It wasn't like losing a part of her body, where she was still fundamentally the same; this was a part of soul she was cutting out, and that meant she would be…

Less.

He replaced the portion and pulled back.

She bowed her head. For a moment, there was silence.

"I'll find a way to deal with it." She repeated. She looked up at him again.

Dartz's gaze softened.

"Lady Kyo,"

She blinked and looked back at the doorway. Mahad was standing there, a strange look in his eyes.

"He's coming back," She said. "The Pharaoh."

"Mana went to collect the tablet." Mahad said softly; he knew. But his expression didn't change, and she couldn't read it. She didn't know what he was thinking, and she couldn't decide if she wanted to or not.

He glanced at Dartz, then back. "Would you…" He started a little awkwardly. He turned slightly as if to leave, but also in invitation. "Might we speak?" He asked.

She didn't want to. Things were hard enough as they were. Once Atem was back, what would he do? Would his loyalties shift back to his true master? And Mana, if she broke the bond between him and the Dark Magician, would he move on to the Afterlife… and be laid to rest?

But she nodded and came over.

He picked a window and hopped out, then turned and held out his hand. She hesitated; it seemed he didn't want the chance that they would be overheard.

She could appreciate that. She didn't really want to either.

She reached out, and he pulled her up into his arms and carried her down into the city.

He took her to a small park next to a fountain and set her down. She looked around, and decided she was grateful. It was calm and quiet; even if she couldn't be completely at ease, it was better than most places.

She looked back and saw an anguished look in his eyes. For several seconds, he tried to speak, but words seemed to fail him, and the silence stretched.

 _What's wrong?_ She wondered. "I'm not sacrificing myself. Just a piece. Lord Dartz said he could take a portion of my soul and use it to restore the Pharaoh."

But even as she spoke, she realized he knew that already. _So why is he upset? Did he_ want _me to…_

She froze in horror.

 _No. That can't be right. He would never want something like that._ She reminded herself.

 _But…_ She thought as she saw the emotions crossing his face as he struggled with himself. _Maybe it would have been easier with only one of us._

 _Does he really care about me that much?_ She wondered, surprised. _Can he really not decide between us?_ "And Mana can help you get to the Afterlife. You'll finally be able to rest."

"Please forgive me." He managed at last, his voice hoarse with the strain. He knelt. "I know this is glad tidings, for it means neither of you must be condemned to oblivion." He flinched and bowed his head. "Honor demands that my vows to my king preclude my vows to you."

"I understand." She said quietly. "I'm glad you'll finally be able to rest. And I'm glad I got to know you."

There was a long silence.

Neither of them moved; Mahad seemed to be struggling with something, and Kyo didn't want to ruin the moment. Not if it was the last one with him she'd have.

"And I you." He said in a strangled tone, his voice barely audible.

 _He does care._ She thought. _And he cares about_ me _, not just the Pharaoh._ She felt a little better. His return to Atem's service was admittedly what she'd expected and not hoped for.

But even so…

"Thank you, Mahad." She said softly, then turned and started the journey back; she doubted he would give her a ride back at this point.

Luckily, they weren't too far. And about halfway back, she saw Mana flying overhead, trailing a large tablet. She waved, and the Dark Magician Girl, noticing her, came and carried her back alongside the stone.


	57. Return of an Old Friend

Because Dartz was bedridden, the ritual was set up in his room. And despite its size, not everyone fit, so only those working on the spell (and tending to Dartz) were allowed in; everyone else waited in the hall outside.

Kyo stood in the center of the room, surrounded by a series of magical sigils. Dartz was coaching Mana through the spellwork, though there was a slight altercation when she realized she'd have to use the Orichalcos. Eatos was standing by the bed, keeping an eye on Dartz in case his injury acted up.

Rafael had managed to get into a corner of the room (since Eatos was inside), and Seto, Kisara, and Yugi were in the best spots at the door; everyone else was crowded around them, and Kyo could distinctly see Sirius and Jesse 'sharing' the floor.

She was rather nervous with everyone watching, though it was a little disappointing that Mahad wasn't there. But maybe that was for the best.

"Okay, you have to actually _twist_ the energy, you can't just wave it around." Dartz admonished.

"Are you sure? It doesn't want to be twisted!" Mana retorted.

"Well, of _course_ it doesn't want to be twisted. It's spiritual energy. But the Orichalcos requires a twisted form, and it needs to be locked in place."

"Your magic is evil. It's utterly, repulsively, disgustingly evil."

"You've said that several times now, I think I get the picture."

"But it's horrible!"

"Really? In ten _thousand_ years of being possessed by this, _I hadn't noticed_. Now twist it and lock it down!"

Kyo found herself biting back a small, humorless smile as Mana pouted. She was almost the opposite of Mahad – energetic and bubbly, with only an afterthought of seriousness. Kyo would not have guessed that as the personality of a five-thousand year-old spirit, but apparently it had worked out for her.

 _I wonder what the Pharaoh thinks of her…_ She thought. _From what Mana had said, they had been close friends growing up. I'm not sure that would have happened with us… there are plenty of bubbly personalities at school that I avoided like the plague._

 _But perhaps that would have been… nice, given how serious my life has been recently._

 _So, maybe._ She concluded.

"That's it. Very good." Dartz said.

"It feels awful." Mana complained.

"We're just holding this for a few more seconds. Now, Kyo," He turned. "Place your hand on the Tablet of Lost Memories."

She turned and looked at the images carved on the stone. _This is it._ She thought, swallowing.

She reached out.

The magic caught as soon as her fingers brushed stone; crystal shot up around the tablet, and her hand was caught before she could even react. "What the–"

"Relax. This is supposed to happen." Dartz assured her quickly. "Now, Mana, don't lose focus. A quick rip will be better than a slow tear for everyone, so just–"

Mana waved her wand, and Kyo yelped in pain.

"–like that." Dartz said. "You can let go now, I'll take it from here."

Mana stepped aside with great relief.

Kyo was still frozen to the tablet. She could feel the portion of her soul that Mana had ripped out hovering reluctantly in the power of the Orichalcos. It wanted to return to her; this wasn't right. This was wrong, very wrong–

"Easy, Kyo. Relax. We're almost there." Dartz said, and she brought her other hand to her mouth, biting down to avoid screaming or struggling.

 _This is wrong. I shouldn't be doing this. What am I doing?!_ She gasped and slumped against the stone, breathing hard. _Come on. Almost there, Kyo. Just a little longer–_

"Gotcha." Dartz said, and she felt the seal seize the fragment, trapping it in a prison of green energy. Abruptly, the wrong feeling departed, but she still felt hollow. The place where it should have been was empty, like a hole in her heart. And according to Dartz, that would be the case for the rest of her life.

 _Damn. This is gonna be hard._ She thought, wincing.

The crystal melted, and she scrambled away from the tablet, grimacing.

"Kyo!" Yugi hurried in, helping her up. "Is it over, Dartz?"

"Kyo can step back, yes." Dartz said, guessing Yugi's real question.

Kyo got up, and Yugi helped her pull back to the edge of the room to watch.

Dartz kept his arm raised, but he was starting to sweat, his face paling a little. Eatos touched his back gently, passing what strength she could.

 _He doesn't trust Dartz._ Kyo thought, surprised.

He tightened his grip. "Come on, Pharaoh. Don't make this hard on yourself." He muttered.

"What's happening?" Yugi asked.

Dartz ignored him. "While I understand the sentiment, Pharaoh, you should realize by now what I'm trying to do." He grumbled.

Yugi's eyes widened, and Kyo looked up. A misty expression crossed his face, and he looked almost like he was in a daze. "Atem?" He called softly.

She stiffened. She could sense him responding.

 _Yugi?_

Then the soul stopped fighting, and merged with the Tablet. As it did, the stone started to dissolve, disappearing into a vortex around the soul, feeding it as it grew.

Then a figure emerged from the light, clad in the raiment of an ancient Egyptian king.

It was like looking at a mirror. They didn't look as alike as he and Yugi did, but Kyo still got that sensation of staring at herself. The Pharaoh looked down at her, and she saw her own confusion reflected in his eyes and realized he was feeling the same way.

He gave her a rueful look. _Well, I can't say this is how I planned this to go._

If anyone else had said it, she might have thought it had undertones of wishing she didn't exist, but she knew him. She knew herself. And if their positions had been reversed, she knew this wasn't how she would have wanted it to go either.

She caught a guilty grin in his eyes.

Then he looked away. "Yugi," He said quietly in greeting, and this time, she saw something else.

 _My friend, my companion… my other half._ His expression became apologetic.

Yugi just stepped forward and hugged him.

Kyo could feel Atem's immense relief; he had been worried about a reproach, but it seemed Yugi had already forgiven him.

 _Okay. Hopefully it isn't like this all the time._ Kyo thought. _Because living two lives is really not what I… was planning on._

Atem's eyes glanced in her direction, as if acknowledging her statement. _We might be able to block our thoughts from each other._ He said. _But that will take a minute._

She nodded back.

He turned to the room at large, and Seto and Kisara came in; everyone else tumbled in behind them, rushing up to the Pharaoh to greet him.

Kyo could feel how overwhelmed he felt with their joy and relief to see him again; he'd missed them, and it was gratifying to know they'd missed him too.

"Kyo," Kisara said beside her, and she looked around. "How are you feeling?" She asked.

Kyo blinked. "I'm not sure." She said truthfully. "I can sense him. I can hear his thoughts… and he can hear mine. We're the same person, and I know… what he means." She rubbed her head. "I'm not sure what to make of it. He said we might be able to block it out, though."

"That's good," Kisara said cautiously.

She nodded.

It was strange. She could see how happy they all were to see Atem again. Even Seto, though it was hidden under his usual antisocial attitude. He was almost worried; he couldn't stay, after all, and they had to see that. Would it be like last time? Would parting be…

"Wait… where's Mahad?" Kisara asked. "Wasn't he with you?"

"We… split up." Kyo said quietly. "He's going back to the Pharaoh."

"Oh." Kisara looked down.

"He has to. It's where he belongs." Kyo shrugged.

"But… Kyo…" Kisara bit her lip.

"It's okay." Kyo said firmly. "I'm okay with it. Really."

But her sister knew better. Still, she also knew better than to say anything.

"I can't stay." Atem said, and there was sudden silence. He felt a stab of pain. _They should have known that._ He thought unhappily, wishing they wouldn't look at him like that. "I came back to set Mahad free, but my soul does not belong here."

As if on cue, Mahad appeared, teleporting into the space with a rush of wind.

He knelt. "My king." He greeted. "I am glad you are returned to us."

"Where'd you run off to?" Seto queried roughly.

Atem's annoyance was like fire, which didn't help with her own irritation at Seto's tone. "If you can't hold your tongue, Kaiba, I'll throw you out of the temple."

Which, they realized in retrospect, wasn't exactly a good combination. The silence was rather poignant.

He almost apologized. And he would have. Seto wouldn't ignore that kind of insult. But he didn't have long, and he wanted to make sure everything else was settled first.

"Would you excuse us for a moment?" He said, flicking his fingers – and he and Mahad vanished.

The connection went abruptly dark, and Kyo started in surprise. But a knowledge of what happened came through; Atem had blocked his thoughts from her. He sent over how to do it, and she nodded back, closing off her mind.

"Smooth, Kaiba. Real smooth." Joey muttered. "You jus' had t' go an' ruin the moment, didn' you?"

Seto ignored him and strode away.

"Let him go, Joey." Yugi said quietly when he made to follow.

"Dat jerk. Hones'ly." Joey shook his head.

Yugi turned. "So is this it, Mana?" He asked. "Are you all heading back?"

She nodded. "Sadly, we must. We can't stay long." She gave him a hopeful look. "Of course, if you summon us, we might show up."

"How does that work?" He asked. "You aren't merged with your ka."

"Well, after Mahad merged with the Illusion Magician, I've been studying that spell, and I found a way to do it temporarily." Mana explained. "It's a lot weaker than his spell, but it means I'm not stuck. And Dark Magician Girl's plenty strong on her own." She added with a grin. Then she turned rueful. "Mahad's incredible. Five thousand years and I couldn't figure out how to break the bond with his monster."

Yugi blinked. "But you said you could."

"That took a bit more than me." Mana rubbed the back of her head. "What's even crazier is it took even more than a god. Well, one god, anyway." She raised a finger. "I asked the God of Knowledge for a favor. And _he_ had to ask the God of Storms for an extra boost."

"Is Mahad's bond with his ka really that strong?" Yugi asked. "Man. That's crazy."

"No kidding." Mana stuck her tongue out. "But yeah, this is it." She lifted her hand, and a stone appeared, hovering over her palm. "Once he uses this, he'll be separated from his ka." She closed her hand, and the stone vanished. "I just hope the Pharaoh will be _satisfied_ this time." She added with a pout.

Kyo looked away.

Then, quite suddenly, she was standing in a grove outside.

She started and looked around, and saw that it was the same grove she and Mahad had gone to. Atem was standing beside her, and Mahad was kneeling a few steps away.

She looked up at Atem and felt the vertigo of staring at herself again.

 _This will certainly take some getting used to._ Atem thought wryly.

Kyo blinked. _I don't think I could've made this any weirder._

His mouth twitched. _Try not to sum it up._ He advised. "Mahad has served me well and faithfully to the end. But I am bound for the Afterlife now, and his task is complete. When I loosed him from his duties, however, he asked that he be permitted to remain here." He explained. "With you."

She blinked and started, then looked down at Mahad, who was watching her almost shyly.

"You want to stay?" She asked, surprised. "What about…"

"Once I am split from my ka, my mortal body can be restored." Mahad said softly. "They would have just skipped that part. But I…" He gave Atem an awkward look, then looked back at her. "If you'll permit me, Milady,"

 _He really…_ She felt her heart glow. "Of course." She replied. _He really cares about_ me _, not just…_ She paused, glancing at Atem, but he knew exactly what she meant.

She smiled ruefully. _Nope. This is definitely as weird as it gets._

He snorted and turned. "Mana," He called, and she appeared a moment later.

"So, you done with your private chatting?" She asked. "We're running low on time."

"We're done." Atem said dryly. "Mahad will be staying here."

Mana stared at him. "You're kidding." She bristled. "ALL THAT WORK AND–"

"Calm down!" Atem said quickly. "He'll still be split from his ka. We're just giving him a mortal body, too."

"Oh." She stopped, frowning. Then comprehension dawned on her face. "You know, that's really _weird_ if you think about it–"

"We're not the same person, Mana." Atem said with a frown, holding out his hand. "Now, let's take care of this before we are called back."

She nodded and held out the stone. "Right. Here you go."

Atem took it, then looked over at Kyo. _Not that I need to say this, but… I'm trusting you._

She knew what he meant. Because he was right; they weren't the same, even if they had the same soul. She nodded, and he turned to Mahad, who got to his feet.

"It's time."


	58. A Few Weeks Later

"…and you go around the board collecting monster eggs." Yugi was saying. "You can use the eggs to hatch monsters. Weaker monsters hatch right away, and stronger ones take longer."

"That makes sense." Kyo nodded sagely. "Like Duel Monsters."

Yugi gave her a rueful look. "I didn't want to make a game like Duel Monsters at first, but in the end it was just too perfect." He shrugged. "I doubt people will stop playing Duel Monsters anytime soon, though."

"This game is awesome, Dad!" Kyo exclaimed, hugging him and thanking her lucky stars that she could again.

"I'm glad you think so. But I'm going to need your help getting it up and running." He glanced up at Mahad. "And you, too. The cost of making the pieces for this is tremendous, especially with the amount of variety I want."

Mahad, now wearing a stylized white-and-gold hoodie, a button-up shirt, and black pants, picked up one of the pieces and studied it. "This will not be difficult to replicate." He said. "If you create the first copy, I can duplicate as many as you require."

"Well, don't get carried away. You're mortal now, remember?" Yugi reminded him.

Mahad threw him an affronted look. "I was the most powerful magician in the world _before_ I merged with my ka." He returned a little huffily.

Kyo bit back a grin. "So what are you going to call this game, Dad?" She asked.

"Well, I was thinking Capsule–"

"Are you guys still here?" Téa exclaimed as she came by. "You're going to be late! And you know how crazy Kaiba gets!"

"Relax, Téa." Yugi said, though he started picking up the pieces. "He's much better now that Kisara's back. Er, his wife I mean."

Kyo and Mahad exchanged glances and helped him clear away the pieces.

"I've got this. Go get your decks." He said quickly.

"Like we'd go anywhere without them?" Kyo returned as she scooped the hand-carved figurines into the drawstring bag with the rest of them.

Yugi smiled.

* * *

"Hey! Moto!"

Kyo rolled her eyes as Sirius came scampering over.

"So, you're competin' too, huh? How's dat gonna work? Did ya get a different Dark Magician card?" He asked, glancing at the (now-human) Mahad. "Wait, why've _you_ got a dueldisk?"

Mahad gave him a sideways look. "Because I will be dueling as well."

"Wat? How's dat work?" Sirius frowned, confused.

"…like anyone else," Kyo said wryly. She pulled out a card. "And I don't need another Dark Magician."

His eyes widened, and he tried to snatch the card from her fingers. She, however, was too quick and pulled it back, away from him.

"Hey! Lemme see, lemme see!" He tried to hop around her, but Mahad got in his way. "C'mon, man!"

"Back off." Mahad said darkly, folding his arms.

"What are ya, her bodyguard? I jus' wanna see her card!" Sirius complained.

"You picking a fight again, you little twerp?" Mai grabbed him by the ear from behind, and he yelped. "C'mon, knock it off, you little brat, or it's straight back home. Kaiba may have lowered the age requirement for entry, but that doesn't mean I can't ground your sorry butt."

"No! If you do dat, I'll be out of the tournament!" Sirius wailed.

"Duh." Mai snorted and let him go. "Hey, kid." She added at Kyo, winking. "Thought I might find you here."

She smiled back.

"Are you dueling, Mai?" Yugi asked.

"Nah. I love a good scrap as much as the next duelist, but Battle City's gotten gritty over the years." She shook her head. "Sirius is lucky I'm not a softie, or I would've told him to start with something smaller."

Yugi smiled ruefully.

"You're not either, huh?" Mai queried. "Or did you leave your dueldisk at home?"

"I'm not competing, no." Yugi shook his head. "I've got another project I'm working on, and I've been mobbed a few too many times in things like this." He looked down and put a hand on Kyo's shoulder. "I'm leaving that to Kyo."

"How kind." Mai snickered.

"Where's Joey, anyway? He'd better not be missing this." Yugi said. "I heard rumors of a new dueldisk, and I know he wouldn't miss something like that for the world."

"Oh, he's here already." Mai said dryly. "He's been here since two in the morning."

Yugi gave her a startled look. "What– why?"

"Like you said. He wouldn't miss this for the world." She snickered. "He'll be here in a moment."

"Kyo! Mahad!"

They turned.

"Kisara! Jesse!" Kyo greeted them with a smile. "You're here too?"

"We shore are," Jesse said with a grin.

Kisara nodded. "We had a feeling you'd be down here. We wanted to be here with you for the opening." She looked up at the clock. "Should be any moment."

"Don' start widout me!"

They turned, and saw Joey running over. His hair was wilder than normal, and his clothes were rumpled, but he looked ready for a fight.

"You're a real mess." Mai said, hands on her hips. "Lucky I knew you would be. Here." She tossed over a pack.

"Wat's dis?" He queried, surprised.

"A change of clothes. Open it later." She patted his shoulder. "He's making the announcement."

And he was – television sets were coming to life all around them, papered across the sides of buildings so everyone downtown could see as Seto's face came into view.

[Welcome, duelists.] He greeted with all the pompous dignity of an emperor greeting his subjects. [It's time to put your dueling skills to the test.]

"Oh, Kaiba," Yugi sighed, shaking his head.

"Here we go." Kyo said, squaring her shoulders.

[As always, in Battle City, the loser must fork over their rarest card to the winner. If you don't have the guts to lose your precious cards, this is your last chance to back out.] Seto announced. [For those of you with a backbone, your job will be to earn ten locater cards. The thirty-two finalists will be chosen on a first-come, first-serve basis.]

"Doesn't he get tired of the same old speech every year?" Mai muttered, shaking her head.

"Are you kiddin' me?" Joey replied. "De way he does it, it's like he gets ta declare war every year. I bet he looks forward ta dis more dan he does to his own birthday."

Yugi snorted.

[Be aware: in this, the twentieth anniversary of Battle City, you will be facing off against one thousand opponents. Not only do you have a legion of enemies to face before even qualifying, but it's also a race against the best of the best to even have a shot at the finals. And only one in a thousand will be crowned as a Battle City Champion.]

"Dang. I didn' realize there'd be tha' many duelists 'ere." Jesse muttered.

"Battle City has gained worldwide renown." Yugi said. "It's easy to get in, and yet anyone bearing a Battle City title is still recognized as an extremely powerful duelist, and that alone is enough of a draw that even when your chances are slim to none, people still come pouring in from all over. There are only twenty Battle City champions in the world, you know."

"But ain't _dis_ the twentieth Battle City?" Sirius asked.

"No. There was one held a couple of years before it was made an annual event, and I won that one." Yugi said.

[This year, those who make it to the finals will be the first to test out my new crystaldisk system.] Seto continued, raising his arm to show the bracer on it. [A far more advanced reality simulation system to help bring your cards to life. Duel as you have never dueled before with these exclusive, unique and unparalleled treasures, courtesy of your number-one source of entertainment, KaibaCorp, and your master of ceremonies: the one, the only – Seto Kaiba.]

"Y'know, if his head gets any bigger, even the buildings won't be big enough to fit it." Mai muttered.

Joey, though, was drooling. "Aw man, Yuge, check it out! Dat looks so cool!"

Kyo glanced at Kisara, and they grinned at each other. Seto had let them keep their prototypes. The condition was they weren't allowed to use them in tournaments, at least until the commercial ones were on the market.

"It does look impressive." Yugi said, his tone faintly jealous.

"Bet you're wishin' you were duelin' eh, Yuge?" Joey grinned at him.

"Hush. He's announcing the start." Yugi retorted grumpily.

Seto's eyes narrowed. [I hereby declare war.] He announced, lifting his hand and throwing it down in a slashing motion. [Let the tournament begin!]


	59. Epilogue

Hey all!

Thank you to the 25 people who favorited/followed my book throughout its writing. Thank you for your patience, especially when I wasn't consistent in my uploads! You guys rock. Seeing that number stay pretty consistent there told me I had people who really cared about my story long enough to stick around to the end. You were a huge motivator for me - and anyone else who reads this ought to know that. :)

This is, in fact, the end of the story. I don't have anything written after this point. My goal with this was to _finish_ a story, because in the many years I've spent on here, I've started plenty of stories and never finished. And some of them were rather good... which was a huge bummer, because I know it'd suck to have this great book you love suddenly stop in the middle. All that is to say that there might be a few plot holes and scenes that were a bit rushed. I knew I had to get to the end, because if I stopped or slowed down and tried to rewrite something, I'd have gotten stuck on this forever. SO, while this isn't my BEST work, it is a FINISHED work. And that alone puts it miles ahead of everything else I've written. XD

If y'all liked the story and the characters, feel free to write a review here and tell me what you thought! If you wanna know what happens next, or if there's anything you'd like me to expand on, feel free to request something; I might write a short story or mini scene or something in a separate "story" on FanFiction for you. Whatever you thought, I'd really appreciate the feedback; there are parts that I'm really proud of, and some I'm not so proud of, and I'd like to know what I got right and what I sucked at :p Please keep it courteous, though.

Thanks again for all your support! Hope you enjoyed this!


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